Bill Chaffin wasn't looking for a head coaching job in high school football after bouncing around at the college and high school level the previous 10 years.

Chaffin began considering doing it, however, when the Bacon Academy job opened up. He applied for it and has been hired as its new head coach.

"I think it was always in the back of mind," Chaffin said about being a head coach. "I've kind of been molding my own way of doing things using things that I've learned from all the people I've worked for, but (I) wasn't necessarily proactively searching for it.

"I grew up in this area (Hebron). I grew up around the Colchester line and I know that the community is great in Colchester, and I know what Bacon Academy can be. So I was intrigued to apply for the job and I'm fortunate enough to get it. And now I'm excited to be able to take all those things I learned over the last decade of coaching and try to create my own thing."

Chaffin graduated from Windham Tech in 2008 and played for the then Coventry/Windham Tech co-op. He went on to play at Southern Connecticut State University and graduated in 2013. He was a grad assistant for two seasons at Peru State College in Peru, Neb., then moved on to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. where he was the offensive coordinator for two seasons.

Chaffin came back to Connecticut and became an assistant for the Coventry co-op under his former coach, Tony Bonito, in 2017. Chaffin followed Bonito to Prince Tech the following season. He was Xavier's offensive line coach last year.

“Coach Chaffin brings a wealth of football knowledge and experience as a player and coach to our football program," Bacon athletic director Kevin Burke said in a release. "Bill is an experienced football coach and understands the importance of providing student-athletes with a positive high school experience with a family type atmosphere within the football program. Bill will look to build the community around Bacon Academy football and create ownership within the program through team leadership and mentoring. I’m excited for Bill to lead our football team with outstanding character, respect and leadership for years to come.”

Bacon had a tumultuous 2021 season as it forfeited its final three games due to an unidentified incident that led to a Title IX investigation. First-year head coach Mark Farnsworth and his entire staff were placed on administrative leave, and he resigned during the offseason.

The Bobcats went 0-10 and were shutout in their first five games. They scored a combined 22 points in their final two games.

Chaffin, 31, sells health insurance for PPI Benefit Solutions in Wallingford.

“Having worked for five head coaches over a 10-year span, you learn things that you want to replicate,” Chaffin said, “and then you also learn things that you would do differently (and) there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what you’re supposed to do as an assistant, to kind of mold your own path.

“My goal is to have the players be able to be coaches on the field. So when I’m teaching, I start from the very beginning. (It's) not, 'This is your wristband and this is your assignment' type-deal. I want players to understand the whole concept of what we're trying to do. When you try to coach up a player and you try to tell him what he’s supposed to do on every single play (using) a wristband or something like that, he doesn’t understand the whole scheme of everything. ... The players have to understand the why, why you’re doing it. And once they understand why, then you can get whatever you get on offense or defense because they understand that and they’ll be able to adjust.”

n.griffen@theday.com