Matt Lee is leaving the Alvirne football program to take the Windham head coaching job after guiding the Broncos to the Division I playoffs the last two years. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

He came to Alvirne High School and taught the Bronco football players one major thing: how to win.

Feeling his job in Hudson was finished, Broncos head coach Matt Lee has left to take the head job at Windham High School.

Lee’s hiring was made official late Tuesday night, and he will now take over the Jaguars program vacated by Jack Byrne, who stepped down as their head coach to spend more time with his family.

“I was only going to a place that I feel like I’m going to stay long term,” said Lee, who after several years as a defensive coordinator at Greater Lowell became a head coach for the first time two years ago this time at Alvirne. “There weren’t many. This (Windham) was one of them. This is one of the places I think has the ability to grow. … the program is definitely one that can be on the rise, the resources are really good there and the youth program is really strong. Those are some of the things I’m going to pinpoint why I’m leaving.”

Lee told the Alvirne players two summers ago that if they didn’t fully believe they could make the Division I playoffs, then it wouldn’t happen. Well, they believed, making it both of his seasons. The Broncos were 5-4 in 2023 but fell to Nashua North in the first round. But this year’s team finished 6-3 in the regular season, beat Concord in the first round of the playoffs for the program’s first ever Division I playoff win. Then they gave Bedford a battle, taking a 14-0 lead in the quarterfinals before falling 24-14.The Broncos had won just one game the year before he got there.

“Two years later the same kids nearly made it to the top,” Lee said. “At least we were amongst the top teams. That was important to me, for them to see that and understand that they could play at that level. But it wasn’t easy. Those kids really worked hard. I wouldn’t have changed anything with that group of kids. I wish we could’ve won one or two more. But that was a phenominal group of kids.”

Lee said the Broncos those two years, led by current seniors Charlie Crawford, Ryan Rochileau and Shawn Boudreau, got “bigger, faster stronger” during his time but more importanatly learned how to win.

“I think some of those games that we won this year, maybe in the past they wouldn’t have had the mental fortitude to win those,” Lee said.

Lee will take over a Windham team that went 3-6 last year. The irony is the Jags and Broncos are in the same division, so he will see them every year. It’s said he is the first Division I coach since 2015 to leave for another Division I school.

Hiring a new football coach will likely be one of Alvirne AD Karen Bonney’s major tasks before she retires at the end of the school year. That administrative job has been officially posted. Lee informed Bonney late last week that his departure was possible as he waited for the hiring process at Windham to be made official.

Lee had also been a candidate for the Nashua South job that ultimately went to Panthers assistant Josh Porter. Lee’s departure means that there will be three new head football coaches in the area for next season: Porter at South, Lee’s successor at Alvirne, and whoever Hollis Brookline hires as that process was progressing toward the finish line. Last season’s coach, Milt Robinson, took it only on an interim basis.