Phelps moves up to Rams’ top post

LYNN – Ten years ago, when Tim Phelps started playing football at Lynn Classical for Matt Durgin, he wondered what it would be like if someday he could be head coach of the Rams.Now he’ll find out.The official announcement came down Tuesday, and Phelps will succeed Durgin – his friend and mentor – as Classical’s coach.”I feel great to be taking this on,” said Phelps, 25, a 2001 graduate of the school and former football captain. “I’ve played here, coached here, and it feels great to come here and give something back.”Phelps, a Norwich graduate who was also captain there, is a certified math teacher – something that principal Warren White feels will be an advantage at Classical.”Math teachers and science teachers are in great demand,” said White. “So even though he may not be in the school now, it’s something we can safely say we’re working toward.”Tim’s contributions to Classical, as a player, coach and teacher, have been innumerable,” White said. “He’s also a student of the game, and a quick study.”White said he was not concerned that, at his age, Phelps may be a little young to be a head coach.”People forget,” White said, “that Matt Durgin was a young coach, too. This was his first head coaching job when he came here (at Classical in time for the 1997 season).”Phelps is aware that he has some big shoes to fill. Under Durgin, the Rams were consistently among the top teams in the Northeastern Conference. Last fall, they came within a minute of upsetting eventual Northeastern Conference/Large champion Gloucester.”He was my coach for four years, and then my mentor,” said Phelps. When he announced he was resigning earlier in the spring, Durgin was up front in his hopes that Phelps would succeed him.”That gave me a lot of confidence, knowing that he had faith in me,” Phelps said.”I’m really happy for Timmy,” Durgin said. “He’s a hard worker and I think he’ll do a great job.”Durgin said he pegged Phelps as a potential coach as early as his freshman year at Classical.”I can honestly say that,” Durgin said. “I could see his potential. He was always the first guy there and the last guy to leave. Always.”Phelps comes from a family of football players. His brother, Mike, graduated in 2000 and Will was a captain two years ago. All three Phelps brothers were Item Football All-Stars.His parents, Mike and Peggy, have also been heavily involved in the Classical boosters program and Phelps hopes they continue to stay active.Phelps, who served as an assistant for Durgin for the previous two seasons, feels that knowing the players he’ll be coaching will make a huge difference.”I know the kids who come here, some of the problems they have, and I feel I can help them,” Phelps said. “I’ve played here, coached here, and I’ve seen some of the problems.”Phelps said he’d retain the coaching staff he worked with last year – another score for continuity in the program. The staff includes Ryan Hathaway, Mike Phelps, Robert Johnson, Harold Watler, Henry Breckinridge, Joe Ford and Jim Bransfield.This has been a year of changes for Phelps. Three weeks ago, he and his wife, Lauren (Abernathy), had a baby boy, Samuel Nicholas.