CHERRY TWP — Moniteau didn't have to look far to find its football coach.

Wade Vogan, 30, a former Sharon assistant coach now employed at Moniteau High School as a guidance counselor, was approved as the Warriors' new grid mentor by a 7-2 vote at Monday night's school board meeting.

It marks the first head coaching job for Vogan, who was one of four people interviewed for the job.

“He is so enthusiastic and he's a rules person,” said Joann Duke, head of Moniteau's athletic committee. “That was one of the things that impressed me when he was interviewing.

“He said you have to learn to work within the rules. There's so much positive energy there.”

Vogan replaces Cecil Blauser, who was 3-7 in his only year as Moniteau head coach. Jeff Campbell was 40-28 in seven years as head coach before Blauser, including a 12-1 record and District 9 championship in 2011.

Blauser had served as an assistant coach under the Warriors' three previous head coaches and has been assisting Vogan in the weight room during this off-season.

“Cecil has been nothing but professional with me throughout this whole thing,” Vogan said. “I'd love to have him as part of this staff. That's entirely up to him.”

“That would be wonderful. That would make me so happy,” Duke said of the prospect of Blauser staying with the program. “I think Mr. Blauser is a fantastic coach.

“I have nothing ill to say about him in any way, shape or form ... They're all good people.”

Vogan said he hopes to keep the bulk of the current coaching staff in place “to keep familiarity” and has a coach or two from Sharon he may bring on board.

Moniteau won three of its final four games last year and “we want to build off that, pick up that momentum and hit the ground running,” he said.

Vogan served as linebacker coach the past two years at Sharon. The Tigers were 2-7 in 2012 and finished 6-5 last year, losing in the playoffs to Girard.

Sharon had two players killed in an automobile accident a few days before that playoff game.

“Moniteau was gracious enough to allow me to continue coaching, to stay with those kids up there,” Vogan said. “They get it.”

One of Vogan's best friends is former Indianapolis Colts defensive back Marlin Jackson. He's assisted Jackson in running a football camp in the Sharon area the past four years.

Vogan worked at George Junior Republic for seven years before accepting the guidance counselor position at Moniteau this school year. His wife, Lyndsey, is a Moniteau graduate. Brother-in-law Tad Thompson and father -in-law Richard Thompson of Eau Claire played football at Moniteau.

“There's definitely a family connection,” Vogan said.

A 2002 Sharon graduate, Vogan was a three-year starter at guard and linebacker for the Tigers. He was a second team all-state performer and was defensive MVP of the Mercer County league his senior year.

Vogan was part of a senior class that won 43 games at Sharon, a school record.

Recruited by Edinboro, he transferred to Penn State, but did not play football there. Vogan received his masters in education at Westminster.

“I played and coached under Jim Wildman at Sharon and he's had a tremendous influence on me,” Vogan said. “I've always wanted to be a football coach.

“I want to work with kids, change kids' lives. That's why I'm in the profession I'm in.”

Duke said that Vogan is “interested in the athletic student and the academic student. He looks at both sides of them.”

In terms of football, Vogan likes to run a pro-style offense, using six or seven different running and passing plays from multiple formations.

Defensively, he'll play a 43 or 35 and will force the issue.

“I'm a defensive guy,” he said. “We will fly to the ball, do a lot of blitzing, moving around, stunting.

“We won't make things too complicated. We want the kids to enjoy themselves and have fun.”