Hammond aiming to keep Goffstown football on successful path

Nick Hammond never had a deadline for when he wanted to ascend to a head coaching position.

But when he found out that Justin Hufft would be stepping down from that spot with the Goffstown High School football team, Hammond felt like it was the time.

"Well, first, I told him to reconsider," Hammond said. "When I knew it was for real, I was all in and felt hopeful that I'd be able to take over."

After serving as an assistant to Hufft for the previous two seasons, including running the offense in 2019, Hammond was familiar with the school and the community, and perhaps most importantly, the kids.

"I love the kids and the way they approach everything," Hammond said. "The community in Goffstown is fantastic. The football program is built around great people, starting with the school administration, the principal (Frank McBride), all the way down. The parents and the community support is awesome."

Having had him on his coaching staff, Hufft, who is Goffstown's athletic director, knew firsthand what kind of coach Hammond could be. He also knew what his former assistant had experienced while with the Grizzlies.

"He was privy to everything we did," Hufft said. "The decisions we made during, before and after games. The bigger issues coaches have to make behind the scene. It was really a no-brainer for someone who puts in the time he does and understands the game of football. He fits in at Goffstown."

Hammond played football at Milford before graduating in 2008 and was an assistant coach at Nashua North from 2013-15. After spending the 2016 season as an assistant at Goffstown, Hammond was the wide receivers coach at Saint Anselm College for a year before returning to the Girzzlies.

"Sports are a huge part of my life and the most influential people were coaches," Hammond said of why he got into coaching. "If I wasn't going to continue playing, it was something I wanted to do. I wanted to try to have an impact on people in the same way those guys had an impact on me."

While Hammond's coaching resume might not be as long in years, Hufft feels his new football head coach carries himself in a way that makes it seem like he's been doing it for a long time.

"He has wisdom beyond his years, the way he handles things," Hufft said. "He has a really good head on his shoulders. I have a great deal of confidence in him."

Hufft spent nine years as the Grizzlies' head coach and led the team to its lone championship in 2015, when Goffstown went 12-0 in winning the Division I title. The team also appeared in the Division III championship game in 2012 and made the playoffs seven times, including the last five years in D1.

After taking over as the school's athletic director, Hufft spent the 2019 season filling both roles, and decided early in 2020 that he needed to step down.

"It was not an easy decision by any means, but I'm glad I did it," he said. "I've had time to recharge and rest and I'm very confident the program is in good hands."

Having run the offense last season, Hammond plans to continue to use the same spread formations the team has lined up in since Hufft's arrival. On defense, things might look different at times, but overall not much will change.

"Big picture, it will look the same," Hammond said. "We'll continue to be a spread offense and get our skill players the ball in space and let them do their thing. Defensively, we'll stay in an odd front.

"Getting these kids back into a normal routine and a normal sense of life is really important. Priority No. 1 is to make sure the guys are in good positions in their lives. The stuff we were able to do this summer has us in a good position."

Goffstown opens the pandemic-shortened season on Sept. 25 at Bedford at 7 p.m.