Mike Eagle created a successful football culture at Morgan through the last few years and he's now looking to make lightning strike twice in another town just a little bit down the road.

The Old Saybrook native and former senior captain at Xavier entered the high school pigskin coaching ranks over a decade ago as an assistant at Valley Regional/Old Lyme before going to Berlin in 2004 and becoming the Huskies' head coach six years after that. Following a successful tenure in which he helped Morgan morph from a 1-9 record in 2011 to a 10-2 mark for the program's first playoff berth just two seasons later, Mike is ready for the next chapter of his career as the new head coach for football at Guilford.

"There were a lot of factors that led to me coming here. I love living in Guilford, so some of it has to do with being a member of the community. It also allows me to be closer to my family," says Mike, a Guilford resident who graduated from Xavier in 1990 and works as a middle school physical education teacher in Berlin. "Yet I was very happy at Morgan. I love those kids and I put my heart and soul into it while trying to give them the best possible high school experience. I had no desire to leave as this was a difficult decision that I initially wavered with, but then I said that it was the right fit."

In terms of preparing his club for battle on the gridiron, Mike aims to create a frenetic pace at practice, so his boys are several steps ahead of the competition when game time arrives.

"Everything is predicated on repetition and achieving perfection during practice. We like to create a fast-paced environment that is as crazy as possible, so that, hopefully, the pace slows down for them on Friday nights," says Mike, who went 28-25 at Morgan. "We try to emulate everything in practice and keep it all planned and scripted. Yet I like to have fun with practice. If practice isn't fun, then it isn't worth it at all and you're playing the wrong sport. It shouldn't be a job."

Mike takes immense pride in seeing the fruits of his labor-whether it's an athlete who stands out both on and off the turf or a community that bands together to bolster a program.

"It's great to coach and then you get kids like [Morgan senior running back and 6,000-yard career rusher] Jake Ward, who are the most humble in the world, represent everything that is right in society, and work their tails off. It's cool that you get to say you had something to do with that," says Mike. "I also like seeing a program build like Morgan. We had great support all around from the parents and town and they were the backbone of it all. I envision that here in Guilford. I've already had so much support from the parents and administration in only a week. Yet it's not about me because I take pride in watching a team achieve its goals."

As Mike goes from one top-notch conference in the Pequot-which saw a 2014 state champion in Valley Regional/Old Lyme-to another elite league like the SCC, he welcomes all the tall tasks and five-star matchups.

"The Pequot Conference is very competitive and a great league that I will always promote, but it's the same in the SCC," says Mike. "You had a [LL Small Division] state final between Shelton and Xavier last year and we play Shelton next season, plus SCC Division II [which Guilford plays in] is no slouch either. There is a lot of great tradition and coaches in this league. Week in and week out, it will be a battle, though we will be ready for it and enjoy the process."

Huskies' stalwart Ward says that Mike played a pivotal role in his development both as a competitor and a young man.

"Coach Eagle is a great man and I wish him the best of luck to both him and his family on their new journey," says Ward. "Throughout my four years as a player, he has taught me not only how to be a better player, but also how to be a better person. He has prepared this team for success down the road and I really wish him the best of luck."

Guilford Athletic Director Jake Jarvis praises Mike and anticipates him leading the Indians to prominence just like he did at Morgan.

"We are very excited about Mike and we feel that Coach Eagle is a great fit to take over and lead our football program here at Guilford," says Jarvis. "Mike did a tremendous job at Morgan and we look forward to him bringing the same passion and love of the game to our student-athletes here at Guilford."

Mike concludes by saying that when it comes to providing for his student-athletes, he's all about making a meaningful impact and giving them memories they can carry with them well beyond their years on the football field.

"My goals are to win and provide the best possible high school football experience. I'm also not about building character, but enhancing it. I want to help them become the best possible human beings they can be and prepare them for the future and whatever lies ahead," says Mike. "If we do everything right and, I'd like to think that everything we do is, then the wins are a byproduct. The winning may not happen right away, but the process will take over toward consistent winning. There are a lot of obstacles, yet if they buy into what we are preaching, then the sky's the limit."