Ledyard — Jonathan Hernandez played high school football at (Class LL) Bristol Central. He coached it at (Class LL) Southington and at the University of Iowa, among other places. And he played it at UConn while the Huskies were a member of the Big East.

Translation: He’s never been at a place as small as Ledyard High.

OK, so maybe those of us familiar with this corner of the world don’t view Ledyard as a “small” program. Four state championships, great coaches in Bill Mignault and Jim Buonocore. Reputation built on success.

But the number of boys at 24 Gallup Hill Rd. aren’t what they used to be, evidenced by Ledyard’s designation as a Class S school this season. And it’s providing Hernandez, who makes his debut as the program’s third permanent football coach in 60 years at Windham tonight, with some unique circumstances.

Maybe in the other places, there’s strength and conditioning coaches, equipment managers and academic support personnel in place. Two-platoon systems on offense and defense. Here? Not so much. And it’s not so easy.

“It comes down to efficiency,” Hernandez was saying earlier this week before practice. “You have to get the most out of players. There’s not a next guy sometimes. But I’m excited to see them compete.”

The Colonels went 3-7 last season in their first season A.J. (after Jim). Buonocore, after 17 years of being the coach, strength and conditioning person, academic advisor, equipment manager and psychologist couldn’t take it anymore, thus yielding to interim coach Mark Farnsworth. Then Buonocore, after an extensive search, ultimately made a splashy hire in Hernandez.

“Whenever you take over a new program, you first try to establish a culture, especially after a losing season,” Hernandez said. “In football you have to learn whether it’s a play, let the play go; whether it’s a season, let the season go. But the guys have been working hard and made a lot of progress.”

They need to. Ledyard, which rarely had scoring disorders under Mignault and Buonocore, was punchless most of last fall. Now they get Hernandez, who has learned a whole lot since his last bout with high school coaching in Southington.

“I think I was a kid who loved football back then and really didn’t know much about the game,” Hernandez said. “We were very talented and the numbers were completely different there. When I went to Iowa, that’s where I learned how to be a coach. But wherever you go, you learn something. And I’m learning from these kids every single day.”

Hernandez has learned the game from some brand names, including Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and UConn coach Randy Edsall.

“I think I’ve taken bits and pieces from everyone I’ve been around,” Hernandez said. “Not just coaches, but players too. Coach Ferentz did a really good job of allowing his assistants to be involved. He was a class act. Coach (Greg) Davis was his coordinator was really prepared and really made me understand it’s not about the X's and O's, but the Joes. Meaning it’s about the players and what they can actually comprehend and execute. I think I’ve simplified a lot of things for our guys. But we’re really doing the same things but out of a variety of different looks.”

Hernandez works as an academic and behavioral support supervisor at the high school, tending to students who need extra help or have behavioral issues. It’s a long way from Iowa City.

“I try to make sure the kids hold themselves to high expectations on and off the field,” he said. “I could care less about last year. Told the guys that’s the first thing they need to forget about. As long as they hold themselves to that high expectation, things will take care of themselves.”

And so the winding path Hernandez took to the 06339, which included some time away from the game, hits its crescendo tonight in Windham. There’s a new sheriff among the Colonels.

“I think (the time away) allowed me to be more patient,” the sheriff said. “It taught me to slow down, take a step back and see the perspective differently. In terms of passion, drive and motivation, I’m still the same guy, excited to work with different student-athletes.”

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro