Pete Furey grew up around the Niskayuna football program. He played varsity football for his father, John Furey, at the school, and served as defensive coordinator for the program’s three Class A sectional titles since 2022.

This season, Furey has a new role. Following the departure of Brian Grastorf, he’s Niskayuna’s head coach.

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Overall, Furey is one of six new head coaches among the 42 teams playing 11-man football this season in Section 2.

“To be honest, things have been great,” Furey said. “This group of guys we have this year have made the transition easy for me. They are hard workers and it is good to be surrounded by (mostly) the same coaches. … The transition has been great – and I have great family and parent support. Now, we just have to pile on these wins.”

Nick Richard has shifted from assistant to head coach at Schuylerville after title-winning coach John Bowen stepped down. The Black Horses are off to an impressive 3-0 start, having outscored their opposition 141-14.

“Everything is great. The kids have been fantastic,” Richard said. “The big things that I stress every single day is (having) effort, energy and competitiveness throughout everything that we do. I think one of the biggest things Schuylerville has prided itself on over the years is how well we prep each week and how much attention to detail we focus on.

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“Nothing is different there. We are still practicing hard and the kids are rising to every single challenge I put in their way.”

Matt Fiato is the new coach at Voorheesville. He previously served as the Blackbirds’ defensive coordinator. In addition to assuming the head coaching duties following the retirement of Joe Sapienza, Fiato is also now calling the plays on offense.

“I think everything is going pretty good right now. We’re healthy and the kids are playing good,” Fiato said. “We’re in good spirits. … There is definitely a huge difference transitioning from being an assistant to being a head coach, for sure. You are spending a lot more time behind a computer answering emails and working with administrators. It is definitely different in terms of the time commitment. For ‘Sap’ to last for 32 seasons, that really is an anomaly. I didn’t think it would be as big of a change as it has been, but I think it is all positive.”

Here is a closer look at how the six teams with new head coaches are doing this fall season.

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Jason Coons, Scotia-Glenville

• Record: 0-3 overall, 0-0 league

• Early results: The Tartans suffered a stinging 13-12 loss against Watervliet in Week 1. The Class B program followed up with setbacks against Granville/Whitehall (34-0) and Canajoharie/Fort Plain (48-21).

• Coming up: The next challenge for Scotia-Glenville comes Friday against Schalmont/Duanesburg/Berne-Knox-Westerlo. After that, the Tartans will take on Voorheesville (Week 5) and Glens Falls (Week 6).

Matt Fiato, Voorheesville

• Record: 2-1 overall, 1-0 league

• Early results: The Blackbirds suffered a 42-7 setback against La Salle in Fiato’s debut, but have followed up by producing victories against Coxsackie-Athens (23-16) and Mechanicville (21-0). Voorheesville is part of the Class C East Division this season after playing in Class D last year.

• Coming up: Voorheesville hosts Granville/Whitehall on Saturday in a Week 4 contest. “We are definitely happy to be back in Class C. I think we are a good fit and it is where we belong. We know the schools, the divisions are nice and the eight-team playoff is nice,” Fiato said. “There are definitely some good football teams in Class C, so it is going to be an uphill challenge for us to get into the playoffs and compete once we are there.”

Pete Furey, Niskayuna

• Record: 2-1 overall, 2-1 league

• Early results: Niskayuna opened its season with a 41-20 setback against Shaker. In Week 2, Colonie only trailed Niskayuna 13-12 after one quarter in what ended up being a resounding 51-18 Niskayuna win. Furey’s second win as head coach came last week with a 44-6 decision over Schenectady.

• Coming up: An honorable mention selection in the Class AA state rankings, Niskayuna is entering its most critical juncture of the schedule, starting with Friday’s contest at Saratoga Springs (2-1, 1-1). The following two weeks see Furey’s squad hosting Shenendehowa (2-1, 2-1) before playing at No. 4-ranked Christian Brothers Academy (3-0, 3-0). “It is exciting. We are catching these games coming off two wins,” Furey said. “We have cleaned up some things. Obviously, there is work that needs to be done; it is Week 4. We should be hitting a stride right now as we see these top-tier teams.”

Matt LaBombard, Cohoes

• Record: 0-3 overall, 0-1 league

• Early results:

  The Tigers have dropped contests so far against Lansingburgh (52-6), Watervliet (41-8) and Glens Falls (45-12), the two-time defending Section 2 Class B champion.

• Coming up: Cohoes looks to earn its first win in upcoming games against Gloversville (Week 4) and Coxsackie-Athens (Week 5).

James Mikel, Green Tech

• Record: 0-3 overall, 0-1 league

• Early results: The first game of the season ended up being a 51-22 loss against Hudson. The Eagles followed with a wild 51-46 loss against Canajoharie/Fort Plain, then opened their Class B slate with a 63-0 setback against Lansingburgh.

• Coming up: The next challenge for the Eagles comes Friday vs. Averill Park. Green Tech then takes on Mechanicville (Week 5) and La Salle (Week 6).

Nick Richard, Schuylerville

• Record: 3-0 overall, 1-0 league

• Early results: The Black Horses galloped away with a 57-14 victory against South Glens Falls in the season opener and followed with shutout wins over Greenwich (28-0) and Granville/Whitehall (56-0). Junior running back Ernie DaCosta has run the ball 26 times for 408 yards and seven touchdowns for the Class C powerhouse.

• Coming up: Schuylerville hosts Glens Falls on Friday in a showdown of two-time defending Section 2 champions. Richard is making sure his program is prepared. “Now, being head coach, the big adjustments are all the things behind the scenes,” Richard said. “As an assistant coach, you are only focusing on football. As a head coach, it is the full scope (in terms of) all the things behind the scenes you have to manage.”

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This article originally published at Section 2 football has 6 new head coaches. Here’s how they’re handling their 1st season.