The Billerica program has always been a proud one.

There’s a certain toughness that comes with playing in the MVC and usually, some of the best teams are the ones that embrace that identity of classic, tough, old school New England football.

When making its next hire, those making decisions in Billerica couldn’t have found a much better candidate to do all those things and maintain the high expectations that the program has had for decades.

Shawn Theriault was named the next leader of the program earlier this week. Theriault is the current Malden Catholic wrestling coach, but has plenty of both college and high school experience and perhaps most importantly, knows how to get through to young athletes.

“I am honored to lead the Billerica High Football team,” he said in a recent interview with NEFJ. “I feel it is one of the best football towns in all of Massachusetts. Having taught middle school at the Marshall Middle School in Billerica for the first 10 years of my career, I know what a strong athletic community Billerica is. I have coached in the Merrimack Valley for many years, I know how competitive the football is, and how intense the rivalries are. Every week is a battle, with great players and coaches, across the league.”

Theriault might be most excited about joining one of the elite, historic Thanksgiving Day rivalries in the state.

“Billerica is also part of the greatest high school rivalry in the area. I have been attending Billerica/Chelmsford Thanksgiving football games since I was a kid,” he said. “Just thinking about leading Billerica during this game gets me fired up.”

Above all else, if you’re going to have success at the high school level, support from everyone around you is paramount. Theriault believes he has the right people behind him to lead the green and white.

“My conversations with the athletic director, principal, parents, and players have been extremely positive. We are all working in the same direction, on a new era of Billerica football,” Theriault said. “Football and academics are important to the players and community. We are going to work to elevate the program in how we train, practice, play, and carry ourselves. Becoming great people and getting our players recruited will be my main goals.”

No one knows what it’ll take to win better than Theriault, who is expecting a certain brand of football out of his players, the same type of ball Billerica has always been known for. Theriault also knows maintaining that certain level of excellence that’s been established in town won’t be easy.”

“We will play a physical brand of football with great defense and special teams,” he added. “Our offense will take advantage of our best athletes.

“Coach Sigsbury did an amazing job for 11 years and I have big shoes to fill.”