Stacen Doucette knew what he wanted when he first stepped on a football field as a Lisbon High School varsity assistant in 1994.

“I’ve always wanted to be head coach,” said Doucette. “It’s been a big goal of mine.”

Eighteen years later, the goal finally came to fruition.

Oak Hill High School earlier this week named Doucette its next head football coach.

The 37-year-old Lisbon resident replaces Dave Wing, who resigned in January, citing time constraints. Doucette spent the last 18 seasons as an assistant to Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan.

Oak Hill athletic director Jim Palmer said Doucette, who previously applied for the Oak Hill job, was “the right fit.”

“I really liked his energy and enthusiasm for the game of football,” Palmer said. “It came across that he really loves football. I think he’ll be a great coach here. We like the freshness he can bring to the program. I’m excited.”

Doucette emerged from a pool of candidates that included former Livermore Falls head coach Brad Bishop, Leavitt assistant Jim Hersom, Bates assistant Walter Polky, Gray-New Gloucester assistant Bruce Nicholas, and Oak Hill assistant Geoff Wright.

Palmer said Wright and fellow Oak Hill assistant Chad Stowell will return.

“We really like Stacen’s philosophy,” Palmer added. “He’s offense-oriented and we liked what he heard.”

Doucette served as Lisbon’s offensive coordinator for the last 10 seasons.

Mynahan said his departure, while not unforeseen, will impact the Lisbon program.

“I thought Stacen was a great assistant,” he said. “He did our offense for us. He called all the plays and got our offense set up. We’ll miss him a ton at Lisbon. He’s been gradually taking over more and more of my role with an idea he’d step in when I stepped down. But this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.”

Added Doucette, who runs the dairy department at Shaw’s in Brunswick: “I don’t think you ever know if you are ready until you start the job. I figured on-the-job training is the only way you know. The last couple of years I was thinking it was time and I went after it. I did learn a lot from Dick. I learned how to be professional, fair and consistent. Nevermind the X’s and O’s, Mynahan is a brilliant coach and a great mentor. I don’t know if I could’ve had a better mentor.”

Doucette, who will coach in his sixth Lobster Bowl this summer, says he plans to field an aggressive Oak Hill team on both sides of the ball.

The Raiders went a combined 12-16 in three seasons with Wing as their head coach. They made the Western C Campbell Conference playoffs in each of those seasons.

“I hope to have a physical team, a blue collar team,” he said. “We will be aggressive on offense, and we will spread the field. We will use the athletes. We’ll run some option and throw when we need to. I’m ready to get going. I’ve always admired the work ethic of this community. It’s such a blue collar work community. Sports is a big part of community.”

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com