Joshua Newhall has been hired as head coach of the Dirigo football team, the high school announced Friday.

Newhall spent the past five years as the defensive coordinator at Mt. Blue, and before that was the defensive coordinator at Madison Area High School, his alma mater, from 2017-2019.

At Dirigo, Newhall is replacing another former Mt. Blue defensive coordinator, Craig Collins, who left the Dixfield school after four seasons to become Mt. Blue’s head coach.

“Coach Newhall brings the energy, experience, and leadership we were looking for,” Dirigo Athletic Director Sara Thurston said in a news release. “He’s committed to developing well-rounded student-athletes and is genuinely excited to join the Dirigo community. We’re confident he’ll be a great fit and look forward to supporting him as the program continues to grow.”

Newhall was a three-year varsity starter for the Madison football team, and a four-year starter on the tennis team. He also coached tennis at Madison and was named Mountain Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2017.

Dirigo went 28-10 during Collins’ tenure, including 7-2 last year in the Cougars’ return to 11-man football. They earned the third seed in Class D South and reached the regional semifinals. Several key players are slated to return next year, including starting quarterback Hudson Lufkin, who will be a junior.

Newhall is the third tri-county area football coach to be hired this year, joining Collins at Mt. Blue and Brian Jahna at Edward Little.