Epping/Newmarket elevates Derocher

By rbrown
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Updated: July 23, 2020

It what has seemingly become an annual event, Epping/Newmarket has announced the hiring of a new varsity head coach for its football program.

Nick Derocher, a Northwood resident who played tight end at the University of New Hampshire, has been promoted from an assistant to head coach. He replaces Anthony Nalen, who resigned after one season as Epping/Newmarket’s head coach to accept a coaching position at Lunenberg (Mass.) High School.

Epping/Newmarket competed in Division III last season but has since dropped to Division IV. Epping/Newmarket posted a 3-6 record last season and failed to make the Division III playoffs.

Derocher, a 25-year-old Northwood resident, is the program’s third coach in as many years, and its seventh in the last nine seasons. He works as a phys ed teacher at Epping High School.

He said he was expecting to be an assistant coach on the Epping/Newmarket staff, but became interested in becoming the program’s head coach when Nalen resigned.

“It was out of the blue,” Derocher said. “I was prepared to be receivers coach and assistant offensive coordinator again for this upcoming year. … The more I thought about it I said, ‘I think I’m prepared to do this.’ I have a great background and a smaller program like Epping at my age I can totally handle it. Great group of kids. Really motivated. Come to practice excited. I just thought, ‘Why not?’”

Derocher played at The Tilton School for four years before he joined the UNH program. He was a two-year captain at Tilton. He said he has retained one assistant from last year’s staff (Tyler Young) and is hoping former UNH defensive tackle Ryan Sosnak will be the team’s defensive coordinator.

Derocher said coaching stability, getting more athletes from Newmarket High School to play football, and creating additional community interest in the program are among his goals for rebuilding the program.

“Half the battle with small-school New Hampshire football is establishing a culture where kids want to come out and play,” he said. “Once kids want to play it’s not too hard from there.

“I’m hoping to have some success in Division IV, then move back to Division III, which is where I think the program belongs.”

NEW NHIAA COACHES IN 2020

BISHOP BRADY
New coach: Tony Johnson
Former coach: Jermaine McKenzie

EPPING/NEWMARKET
New coach: Nick Derocher
Former coach: Anthony Nalen

GOFFSTOWN
New coach: Nick Hammond
Former coach: Justin Hufft

INTER-LAKES/MOULTONBOROUGH
New coach: Paul Lavigne
Former coach: Jon Francis

SALEM
New coach: Steve Abraham
Former coach: Rob Pike

ST. THOMAS
New coach: Ryan Lent
Former coach: Ryan Brown