EAST HELENA — A new school year in East Helena will bring plenty of new faces to the sidelines, but for the Vigilantes' football program, the new head coach is already a familiar one.
After spending years with East Helena High School, JD Ferris is stepping into his first season as the Vigilantes' head football coach while also continuing his role as defensive coordinator.
HEAR FROM NEW EAST HELENA HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JD FERRIS:
Ferris takes over a program coming off one of its strongest seasons. East Helena finished 9-3 overall in 2025 and posted a 4-1 record in conference play, establishing itself as one of the top teams in Class A football.
Now, Ferris hopes to build on that momentum while maintaining the culture already established within the program.
“We feel good about our coaching staff that we have, so really leaning on those guys,” Ferris said.
Ferris said the experience throughout the coaching staff will be important as the team prepares for a new season, but added that leadership from returning players will also play a major role in the team’s success.
“Our seniors, we have a good group of leaders there, so that'll be a key role in the success that we have this year,” Ferris said.
The Vigilantes' coaching staff features several familiar names, including offensive coordinator Troy Arntson, freshman head coach and defensive coordinator Alex Reid, assistant coaches Drew Boedecker and Kevin Dighans, along with statistician Jon Hager.
East Helena athletic director Shaun Murgel said hiring Ferris was about keeping continuity within the football program while rewarding someone who already understands the school’s culture and athletes.
“Coach Ferris is an amazing teacher. He's been with us six years,” Murgel said. “He's a very good teacher, he's a great coach, he relates well with our kids.”
Football is not the only East Helena program beginning the fall season with new leadership. The school will have five new head coaches across fall sports this year.
Joining Ferris are Jillian Hayter as head volleyball coach, Richard Donofrio as head boys soccer coach, Matthew Heinze as head girls soccer coach and Ashley Torgerson as head golf coach.
Murgel said there is excitement throughout the athletic department as each program prepares to begin practices and competition.
“We're very excited to get rolling, we have five new head coaches this fall,” Murgel said. “We're just excited, all of our coaches are excited to get going.”
As the start of football season approaches, Ferris said the anticipation around the program continues to grow.
“Football is a fun game, we are excited to play it, so as it gets close, I think everybody gets the excitement and the bug,” Ferris said.
With an experienced staff, returning leadership and momentum from last year’s 9-3 season, the Vigilantes will look to continue their success under a new era of leadership this fall.
