Max Morelli is the new Milford head football coach, taking over the legendary Keith Jones, who stepped down after 23 years on the job. (Courtesy photo)

MILFORD – He played for a legend, and coached with one. And now Max Morelli will be succeeding him.

Morelli was named Tuesday as the first new head football coach Milford High School has had in 23 years, taking over for the highly acclaimed Spartans legend Keith Jones. Jones, who is also an administrator at the school, stepped down in late January. His final coaching appearance representing Milford will be as the coach of the West team with his son Harris as quarterback in the annual CHaD All-Star Game in June.

“It’s a tremendous honor, first and foremost,” Morelli, a 2008 Milford High alum whose had been a Spartan assistant the last five seasons, said. “I grew up in Milford, went to Milford High School and played for Keith. I certainly have a tremendous amount of respect for everything he accomplished there and all the things he built.

“It’s really cool to have come full circle, having played there and additionally coached, and now taking over the job, it’s really cool.”

Morelli was a linebacker and running back for the Spartans. As an assistant, he was basically the Milford defensive coordinator. He developed a desire to enter the coaching world after high school, even though he didn’t play in college.

“I always had an interest in the cerebral part of the game growing up,” he said. “I enjoyed that part enough when I was younger playing so I always thought it would be something I could get into.

“It was something I always had in the back of my mind and when I got out of college I got right into it. … And it’s really taken off from there.”

Morelli started coaching high school 10 years ago at Nashua North in Jason Robie’s final year, then stayed with the Titans for one more season under Dante Laurendi before heading across town to work under then-Bishop Guertin coach Jeff Moore for two seasons.

He then went down to coach at Bedford, Mass. for one year and then has been at Milford under Jones ever since.

How about being a head coach? Morelli always had that on his radar, but wanted to wait for the right situation. That began to present itself when Jones gathered the staff over the winter to let them know he was done.

“Knowing Keith as a person, I know things kind of lined up for him to step away, but it was a big surprise for all of us when he kind of told us.

“So it caught me a little bit by surprise, but given the circumstances, the kids I had a relationship with on the team, all the work we put in, I love the guys I’ve been coaching with and I think a lot of them are going to stick around. So it was a perfect fit in that regard, so I wanted to jump on this opportunity. Had it been elsewhere, I don’t know if that would’ve been the case.”

“Most of the staff is interested in coming back, which shows me a respect for Max from his fellow peers,” Milford athletic director Don Gutterson said. “Students seem to relate well to them and he is well respected by them.”

Besides working with the defense, Morelli also has helped run the offense at times.

“I’ve been fortunate to learn under a lot of good coaches,” he said. “A ton of different stuff under a lot of different systems.”

It’s almost a dream come true, because Morelli will be coaching at his alma mater. Not everyone gets that chance.

“There is a lot of value in that for sure,” he said. “It’s a special opportunity, no doubt about it.”

It should be a smooth transition, Gutterson said.

“Keith is definitely so well respected in the community,” Gutterson said. “And Max has been very involved on both sides of the ball assisting in all the planning the past few years.”

Morelli also was involved the past few years in getting more kids into the weight room, and Gutterson said there’s been “a large turnout for 6 a.m.workouts.”

Thus, the best way to salute a legend is to keep up his tradition while establishing your own, and Morelli will attempt to do just that.

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