Homegrown Villa Novan
Bibeault takes charge of football program
WOONSOCKET — The keys to the Villa Novans’ football program now rest in the hands of a 26-year-old firsttime varsity head coach.
The lack of experience when it comes to leading young men onto the gridiron, or his age, should not yield shrugs of disbelief. There’s plenty of pigskin knowledge tucked inside the mind of Charlie Bibeault, Woonsocket’s choice to succeed Glenn Castiglia. A 2008 graduate of WHS, Bibeault served as the Novans’ defensive coordinator under Castiglia’s leadership during the past two seasons.
It stands to reason that Bibeault will be the youngest
“Sometimes I’m still in shock, but the kids respect me and listen to everything that I have to say.” – Woonsocket coach Charlie Bibeault
Rhode Island interscholastic football head coach on the sidelines this coming fall. To put his age and new title into perspective, Josh Lima was 27 when he became head coach of Cumberland High in 2014.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” Bibeault said. “When I meet high school football head coaches, they’re typically more seasoned gentlemen.”
Bibeault’s appointment was confirmed last Wednesday night. He interviewed before a two-member search committee that included Woonsocket athletic director Nancy Giordano and WHS assistant principal/former Novan football head coach Brian Bouley. His candidacy had to be enhanced by the simple facts that he once played wide receiver and safety at Woonsocket under Mike Kane and was brought aboard to coach the Novan freshman football team by Carnell Henderson in 2013.
It didn’t truly hit Bibeault that he became the Novans’ 16th head coach in school history (since 1912) until he was
presented with a couple of coaching necessities.
“The biggest thing was when they gave me the keys [to the gate that unlocks Barry Field and the fieldhouse that doubles as the Novans’ locker room],” Bibeault said.
Last Thursday marked Bibeault’s first official day on the job. The passion and fire was clear and apparent as he and his assistant coaches put the Woonsocket players through the typical preseason paces.
“Sometimes I’m still in shock, but the kids respect me and listen to everything that I have to say,” Bibeault said.
Giving directions with the aid of a trusty whistle didn’t represent unchartered territory. Upon learning that Castiglia would not be returning for a third season, Bibeault along with Brett Coderre – also a 2008 Woonsocket High grad and recognized on the R.I. Interscholastic League’s website as first assistant coach for Woonsocket football – stepped into the breach and guided the two teams the Villa Novans featured in the 7-on-7 summer passing league that was staged in Burrillville.
“The direction that Glenn put forward … we’re picking up where he left off,” Bibeault said.
Upon receiving his Woonsocket High degree, Bibeault spent five years with the Woonsocket Wardogs of the New England Football League before a knee injury forced him to give up playing the sport for good. He went to CCRI and presently works in a group home that caters to spe- cial needs children.
Besides Coderre, the Woonsocket coaching staff will consist of former New England Patriots fullback and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Pass as the defensive coordinator. Marc Piette, the high school’s throwing coach, will coach the Novan offensive and defensive linemen. Getting Piette into the fold checked off one of Bibeault’s goals when it comes to having someone monitor the offseason weightlifting program.
“I look at my assistants as the good cops while I’m the bad cop, which has been my role the last few years,” Bibeault said.
In keeping with how he was brought into the Woonsocket football coaching fold, Bibeault would like to see the numbers of the freshman program grow to a healthy level. Right now, the Novans have 55 players between varsity, junior varsity, and freshman. Bibeault wishes to see that total grow to 75 and believes it can be achieved once the ninth graders officially begin high school. During the season, he plans to make it a point to stop by the high school three days a week to check on grades.
“Once the kids are here, we can get them to play football,” Bibeault said. “Getting them here is the hardest part.”
Bibeault led the handyman efforts this summer to remodel the Villa Novans’ locker room at Barry Field. He took the ‘W’ logo and painted it on the floor and brought in several couches. The hope is that those improvements mark the start of wholesale cultural changes that pave the way for Woonsocket’s return to the top of the R.I. football scene.
The Novans have won just one of 14 league games dating back the past two seasons. They’ll have to contend with the big boys in Division I for at least one more season before realignment intervenes and places the program back in Division II, which is where the program has enjoyed its greatest success this century.
“Once I started coaching, my goal was to someday become a head coach,” said Bibeault, who figures to have a few more “pinch me because I must be dreaming” moments before the season starts next week.
Officially, “someday” has been changed to “now.”