Bill Voorhis, the new head football coach at Kickapoo, is settling into his role after a successful 11-season stint at Fair Grove. Voorhis led the Eagles to a 105-28 record, 10 district championship appearances, and a state title game appearance in 2024.

Transitioning to a New Team

Voorhis said the transition has been interesting, given his lengthy tenure at Fair Grove. However, he noted that the Kickapoo team already has a strong culture in place, which has made the transition smoother. The entire assistant staff from the previous coaching regime has been retained, helping Voorhis get acclimated to his new group.

Voorhis is still getting used to the coaching manpower a Class 6 school can provide, having had just four coaches for 72 athletes at Fair Grove. He now has 12 assistants on his coaching staff, which he believes will be a significant advantage.

Building Confidence and Competition

Voorhis wants to instill a newfound sense of confidence and competition among his players. He believes that the team’s mentality needs to shift from ‘we can’t overcome’ to being the last person to give up. The team will face tough competition in the Central Ozark Conference, including back-to-back Class 6 state runner-up Nixa and 2025 Class 5 state runner-up Carthage.

A successful maiden season for Voorhis won’t be measured by wins or losses but by the culture and philosophy he can establish. He aims to get his philosophy on offense and defense in place and have the team know what they’re trying to accomplish on both sides of the ball.

The Chiefs will compete in a preseason jamboree on August 21 and kick off their 2026 season on August 28 at home against Joplin.

Original reporting: Springfield Daily Citizen — read the source article.