ASHFORD, Ala. (WDHN) — Ashford’s new head football coach is ready for the yellowjackets to start stinging.

At a meet and greet held at the high school parents and players got to know the new man in charge.

David Stapleton started his coaching career at Cordova high, then moved to Prattville High School, and his last stop was at Tuscaloosa County where he spent the last three seasons as an assistant.

This is his first head coaching gig He has a lot of work to get done as Ashford hasn’t had a winning season since 2014.

He says he is going to spend this first year improving the numbers on the roster, getting guys out of the hallways and into the weight room to hopefully compete in a tough Three A Region Two.

He’s used to taking on tough teams as he has faced powerhouses throughout the state like Thompson and Hoover.

“Gonna take a lot of what I learned from there and bring it down here we are going to have a mentality that we are not going to back down and I think we have everything we need to compete,” says Stapleton.

Stapleton says Ashford felt like home to him and the community, administration, and players have been welcoming.

He hopes to put on an in-school spring game soon.