Josh Lynn formally introduced as 29th head football coach in WT history

CANYON — One thing was emphasized more than anything else Friday afternoon at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium: All Josh Lynn does is win.

His father is a national high school football Hall of Famer. He took over a long-suffering Eastern New Mexico University football team and turned them into winners. He took over a one-win Nebraska Kearney team that plays in one of the toughest conferences in Division II and turned that team into a winner.

All that winning is what drew West Texas A&M athletic director Michael McBroom to Lynn. Now, the expectation is that Lynn will bring wins and, more importably, championships to Canyon beginning this fall.

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Lynn was introduced as the 29th head football coach in WT history Friday, which consisted of a large crowd that included his wife and three children, his father and several members of his extended family. Members of the WT football team, WT volleyball team, and athletic officials from Canyon ISD were all in attendance looking to learn what his message would be.

All throughout the conference, McBroom emphasized the winning culture that Lynn had cultivated everywhere he's been.

"I felt what we needed was an experienced head coach that's shown the ability to win at the Division II level," McBroom said. "What I want is a championship-level football program with players that graduate from West Texas that are proud to have played here and leave here with lifelong friends. … Coach Lynn has the "it" factor and I feel very, very good about the future of Buff football."

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Lynn has gone 65-50 in 11 years as a head football coach. He finished with seven wins in three of his five seasons in charge at ENMU and won 18 games the past two years with Kearney, including leading the Lopers to the second round of the playoffs in 2021.

An alumni of ENMU, McBroom stated Lynn could've stayed there the rest of his life if he wanted to. Something that drew McBroom to Lynn was that he took the challenge of going to a struggling Kearney team that played in the MAIAA and guided it to success. Lynn was excited for the opportunity to move back closer to home as he has family in all of Eastern New Mexico — as well as Muleshoe and Farwell.

Lynn was also drawn to the idea of what he could do with the recruiting pool he now has at WT.

"We were excited about the resources that West Texas A&M as a school and athletic department brings to the table," Lynn said. "That was a really big draw for me."

WT went 5-6 last year and is losing its three-year starter at quarterback (Nick Gerber), leading receiver (Noah Bogardus), captain of the offensive line (Zane Madison) and leading tackler (Christopher Thomas). Lynn dealt with a losing record in his first season at ENMU and at Kearney.

Rome won't necessarily be built in a day.

McBroom believes, though, that it won't take too much longer than that.

"We have a very good foundation here," McBroom said. "This is a better job than it was six years ago due to the work of the previous staff. … What I'll look for is improvement in all of the areas that are measurable. I'm very, very confident that we're in good shape and that improvement is going to come and it's probably going to come pretty quickly."

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Josh Lynn formally introduced as 29th head football coach in WT history