Tribune Sports Editor

SOUTH POINT — Doug Shilot had the right combination.

Shilot offered youth, success and commitment and that was just what the South Point Board of Education was looking for as they hired him Friday as the new head football coach.

The board named Shilot as the head coach by a 5-0 vote. He was one of two finalists for the job out of 16 applications.

“We went with (Shilot) because he was younger and he’s in it for the long run. He gives us some stability,” said board member Glen Seagraves. “We’re starting off with a new program and a new field and he’s been a big part of the Wayne program and all the success it has had.”

A 1990 graduate of Buffalo, W.Va., where he was a standout running back, Shilot has been an assistant at Wayne for the past 10 years including last season when the Pioneers won the Class AA state championship, the first in school history.

“I was a part of everything, just like (head coach) Tom (Harmon) and every assistant. It’s not an ego trip. But I’m South Point now, through and through,” Shilot said.

South Point’s new schools will have a new stadium with field turf. Shilot said it was a factor in his decision.

“The facilities were a big draw. A lot of people put hard work into getting that going,” Shilot said. “I liked South Point basically because of the challenge of trying to get a team up to where the community wants to be.

“We want to get all the kids who want to play football out, put in our system and our scheme, and go from there.”

Having played at Buffalo and coaching at Wayne, Shilot said he wants to run the wing-T trap series but with a lot of other formations.

“There will be similarities but, with every coach, there are differences. There were things we used at Wayne that we’ll do, but there will be a lot more,” Shilot said.

“We’ll run double wing, but we’ll be in multiple formations. Obviously, the trap series will be a big part of (the offense), but there’s more to it than there was 30 years ago.”