Darin Eggleston had a lifelong dream come true on March 21 when he was appointed head coach of the Granville-Whitehall newly merged varsity football program.

“I was pretty excited when I heard that I had been appointed as head coach,” Eggleston said. “This is something that I have always wanted to do. I wanted this position because I have always loved football, both as a player and coach.

“The plan that I always had for my professional life was to become a teacher and then coach a varsity football program. I coached for many years at the modified level in Hudson Falls and Ticonderoga, but once accepting the teaching position here in my hometown four years ago, I felt that it was now my time.”

Eggleston, a Whitehall alum and native, was initially slated to be head coach of the Whitehall Railroaders varsity team for the last football season but was downgraded to only having a junior varsity program to lead because of the lack of numbers of varsity-level student-athletes.

He said the sequence of events has made life feel like it has come “full-circle.”

“I am excited to have the numbers in our program that will allow us to run a full junior varsity team,” he said. “These kids will now have the opportunity to compete and develop at the correct level, building them into much stronger varsity players when their time comes.”

Eggleston, a math teacher who also coaches junior varsity girls basketball at Whitehall, is married and the father of six, his last three children being triplets born 11 years ago.

The strength and conditioning coach for the Railroaders loves opening the weight room at 6:30 a.m. every weekday for the gym rats and dedicated student-athletes looking to better themselves before school starts.

He also enjoys watching his kids play and compete in sports, hiking, fishing, hunting and producing maple syrup with his family.

Prior to coaching, Eggleston served his country as a Marine for five years in the ‘90s when he was stationed in southern California with a helicopter unit.

“I did serve overseas in Desert Storm from 1993-1994 and also was positioned along the coast of Africa during part of that time with operations in Somalia,” he said. “My main military occupation specialty (MOS) was an airframes specialist. I flew as an observer and door gunner in two of our transport helo’s.

”I also picked up a secondary MOS as a marksman instructor. Once becoming the marksman instructor, I was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the Marines in my unit were all passing their rifle qualifications,” he said.

“My rank at the end of my term was a sergeant. At that point I was in charge of what maintenance was taking place on the helicopters in addition to flying and rifle instruction.”

Eggleston said his service provided a dose of reality and purpose to his life, taking some of the teachings he learned with him and applying them in the classroom, on the football field and at home.

“I think being a Marine had a huge impact on my life. I went in as a young kid not really knowing what I wanted to do and came out with a plan of attack for what I wanted and what I thought would be best for my family,” Eggleston said. “It taught me to hold high expectations for myself and to put in whatever effort it takes to complete the mission or attain the goal or goals.

“One Marine mantra that I always loved was ‘adapt and overcome’ and I think I’ve said it to my students, athletes and children many times. Do what it takes to achieve your goals.”

Eggleston was described by Whitehall school superintendent Pat Dee and Granville athletic director Justin Nassivera as an individual with “high energy,” ready to lead the student-athletes from both school districts forward.

Eggleston said his coaching and life philosophies have been centered around accountability, perseverance, collaboration, hard work and attention to detail.

“I’ve always been a high-energy type of person. Maybe it’s because I’m a former Marine, but then again, I think I’ve just always been super competitive and have always worked hard to succeed,” Eggleston said. “Honestly, I really think my energy for football just comes from the fact that I love the game.”

For those wondering, Eggleston confirmed that the junior varsity and varsity football programs for Granville and Whitehall will be merged, while the modified football programs for the respective schools will not be.

“The modified programs will remain separate because each school has plenty of numbers for this to work out. They will both be learning the offense and defense that we will be running together once they are on the junior varsity and varsity level,” Eggleston said.

After establishing a coaching staff that is “dependable, tactful, motivating and intelligent,” he said he will begin spring meetings and workouts with his new players.

“We will also be running a 7-on-7 program so our quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs can work on passing, route running, man and zone defenses,” Eggleston said.

Addressing individuals who may feel the merger between Granville and Whitehall goes against the tenured legacy of the rivalry between the two historic towns and school districts, Eggleston said the maintenance and sustainability of both football programs as one is the most important feature of the merger.

“I graduated from and played for Whitehall back when the rivalry was still very much alive,” he said. “I can remember the communities really having a strong dislike for each other back then. It’s funny how things change.

”I left Whitehall and played for a Division III team in Wisconsin after graduating. There too, was another rivalry. I left there and enlisted in the Marines and believe it or not, our rivals were the Army and the Air Force, of course, the Navy owned us! Although we were rivals with the fun things, like athletics, we were all Americans, brothers on the battlefield,” Eggleston said.

“It’s very obvious to me that the old Granville-Whitehall rivalry has subsided and as much as some of the old boys who played back in the day would like to protest, this merger is what is best for both Whitehall and Granville football. It’s time for us to come together, to unite and show these other merged teams that we are here to compete.”