East Stark News

Walsh University has appointed Lamarr Stewart the new head coach for Sprint Football effective January 26, 2023. Stewart's appointment will make him the inaugural coach for the program.

Stewart has a diverse and extensive coaching history. Over the past ten years, he served as Athletic Director and Head Coach for ASA Football in Brooklyn, NY. He spent the 2021 season as the Linebackers coach at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, and in 2020 he served as Head Coach at Milford Academy after spending the 2019 season as Defensive Coordinator at ASA. Notably, during his seven seasons as Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers coach at Milford Academy, he helped more than 100 scholar-athletes go on to play Division I football; he mentored NFL draft picks DB’s Blessuan Austin (NY Jets), Ka’dar Hollman (Green Bay Packers) and Malcolm Koonce (LV Raiders); and also mentored 16 players who made it to the National Football League. Before Milford, he was the Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs coach at Globe Tech College for the 2011 season. During the 2010 campaign, he spent time as the Outside Linebackers Coach/Video Coordinator at St. Anslem College in Manchester, NH.

“This is a surreal moment in my career,” Stewart said. “I am so honored to be named the inaugural Head Coach of Sprint Football at Walsh. This means a great deal to me to join such a strong athletic tradition."

Walsh will be joining the newly formed Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) this fall and looks to roster 50 athletes for its inaugural season. Other schools competing in the MSFL include Bellarmine University, Calumet College of St. Joseph, Quincy University, Fontbonne University, Midway University and St. Mary of the Woods College.

Men’s sprint football originated in 1934 by the president of the University of Pennsylvania who wanted to assure that smaller, talented student athletes still had opportunities to compete at the intercollegiate level. The sport has produced some big-time alums, including NFL coaching legend George Allen. With a focus on speed and agility, sprint football follows all the standard American football rules, including 11 on 11 format, but it requires all players to weigh 178 pounds or less and have a minimum of 5% body fat to be eligible.

Lamarr is a graduate of West Liberty University with a bachelor's degree in Communications after transferring from The University of Akron. He was a three-year letter winner for the Hilltoppers and a member of the 2009 WVIAC Championship team. After college, Stewart played four years in the Indoor/Arena Football League for the Cleveland Gladiators, Washington Eagles, Evansville Rage and the Marion Blue Racers. 

Original source can be found here.