Moses Douglass has served as the defensive backs coach at Springfield this fall under his former coach and father, Maurice Douglass.
The Wildcats (8-4) travel to Middletown (9-2) tonight for a Division I, Region 2 semifinal game at Barnitz Stadium. They’re seeking their sixth trip to the regional final in seven years.
“This is technically my internship,” Moses Douglass said. “My bachelor’s degree is going to be in sports management, so it kind of goes hand in hand together, and I thought the experience I get with coaching would look good on my resume, especially it being an internship. It would look great to get thrown into that fire immediately.”
A 2018 Springfield grad, Moses Douglass played at Kentucky before transferring to Alabama A&M. He finished his career at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina and was offered a graduate assistant position as he finished his degree this fall.
Moses quickly realized that college coaching likely “wasn’t for him,” Maurice Douglass said.
“Being a (graduate assistant), you have to do everything,” Moses Douglass said. “I decided I would rather coach high school and see if I could get my shot here.”
During the summer, Moses Douglass often worked with his father’s players at Springfield. His Dad could tell right away he was a natural at coaching defensive backs.
“I was just watching him throughout the summer when he was home, just seeing how he interacted with the guys when he was playing, and then how much they listened to him,” Maurice Douglass said, “and so I told him if the opportunity presented itself, he really needed to come out and try coaching because I think he’d be really good at it. He came out there this year, it’s worked really well for him, the guys have responded well to his coaching style, and I think that has a lot to do with the guys being successful. You can connect with people you relate with.”
He joined a staff that included several of his former coaches, including defensive coordinator Conley Smoot and offensive coordinator Chris Wallace. Former Springfield High and Wisconsin University standout wide receiver Danny Davis also joined the coaching staff.
It helps that they know just how high the standards are inside the Wildcats program, Moses Douglass said.
“I understand how important it is to play the next down, because you can let up a big pass, but if the next play is an interception, everybody’s happy and looking around like we made a play,” Moses Douglass said. “It’s great to see that because we fought. ... It’s all you can ask for out of the boys.”
It’s been rewarding to coach with his son, Maurice Douglass said. Moses has a bright future ahead in coaching because he can “speak (the players’) language,” Maurice Douglass said.
“I think that he has that ability, and I think that he could (coach) at just about any level that he really wanted,” he said.
About the Author
