Hardaway names Jordan OC/DC Michael Woolridge new football coach

Less than a month after current Hardaway athletic director Jeff Battles stepped down from his post as football coach, the Hawks have named his successor.

Hardaway graduate Michael Woolridge will become the school's 15th head football coach, principal Matt Bell confirmed to the Ledger-Enquirer on Wednesday.

“It’s great to come home,” Woolridge said. “Home is where the heart is.”

Woolridge comes to Hardaway after four seasons at Jordan as the team's offensive and defensive coordinator. Prior to his stint at Jordan, Woolridge was an assistant coach under Battles from 2008-10 at Hardaway.

At Jordan, he helped oversee a turnaround of sorts as the team improved from 0-10 in his first year to 3-7 in 2015. While that doesn’t sound like much, the team was competitive, particularly on offense, with a handful of playoff teams this season.

“It all starts with discipline,” he said. “You have to instill morals and values. You have to hold players accountable in the classroom and on the field. You have to be a role model.”

Woolridge said that was done at Jordan, along with head coach Jim Brown, and the players bought in. It’s his goal to do the same at Hardaway.

He will have his work cut out for him at his new school. The Hawks went 1-9 this year and have won just seven games over the past five seasons combined. They last made the playoffs in 2010, and struggled down the stretch this season despite a promising start.

Woolridge said he embraces the challenge.

“Hardaway is a gold mine,” he said. “We have to get people excited about the tradition and about playing football again.”

For Bell, the hire was first and foremost about Woolridge's ability as a teacher.

"He's an excellent teacher," Bell said. "Knowing what he can do in the classroom was most important. He'll bring a disciplined approach in class, on the field and in the weight room."

Woolridge graduated from Hardaway in 2001, spending time under current Harris County coach Dwight Jones. During his time at the school, Hardaway made the playoffs in 1998 and 1999, going 10-2 in ’98.

Bell said it is still undecided whether Battles will remain at the school as athletic director. For now, the plan is for him to finish the school year as AD.

Battles coached Hardaway for eight years and took the team to the playoffs once, in 2010. He was 23-58 overall before stepping down at the end of the regular season in November.

David Mitchell, Follow David on Twitter @leprepsports.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Hardaway names Jordan OC/DC Michael Woolridge new football coach."