A Lebanon High alumus and former first team All-State quarterback is heading back to his old stomping grounds to lead the Raiders’ football program into the future.
Kyle Colburn, who graduated from Lebanon High in 2007, was officially hired as the Raiders’ new head football coach last month, taking over for the recently retired Doug Johnson.
It marks a return to the Upper Valley for Colburn, who moved to Maine for work and a life change five years ago.
“Kyle impressed our hiring committee with his plan to develop the football program through a student-athlete empowered approach, which focuses on accountability on the field, in the classroom and within the Lebanon community,” Lebanon athletic director Ben Davis said in an email. “He demonstrated an excellent understanding of the recent history of our football program, and the future steps that will be necessary to achieve sustained success in all of these areas.”
Colburn has a wealth of football coaching experience, including as a head or assistant coach at schools such as Mascoma High and Newfound High. While he had been involved in Lebanon High’s boys basketball program, Colburn said it is a dream come true to lead his alma mater on the gridiron.
“In life, you don’t often get a chance to have a second coming or to have something come back into your life for the second time, and this has been a dream come true,” he said.
“It feels right. It’s something I’ve dreamt about forever. I’ve always wanted to be the guy, especially being a young kid, knowing the impact you can have as a coach on kids’ lives.”
Johnson, the coach he replaces, was the driving force behind the turnaround of the Raiders’ football program, which just a few years ago was on life support.
Lebanon was winless in 2022 season, and the program dropped to the junior varsity level the next season. After the program’s JV campaign in 2023, the Raiders returned to the varsity level in 2024 and went 2-6.
This past season, the Raiders finished 3-5 in NHIAA Division III and just missed out on the playoffs.
“What Doug Johnson has built here and what these seniors and juniors have had to overcome is just really special,” Colburn said. “They’ve done a lot of good things here, and they’re going the right way. … I’m in the offseason with these kids — I haven’t seen a more motivated group.”
As for how Colburn will attempt to keep the momentum going, he said part of it comes down to someone like himself, who believes in the school and the program. Making the game fun for the players also ties into that.
“It’s not going to be a grind — football is a grind in and of itself. So our job is to make sure that when they’re here at practice and in the fall time; it’s the best time of their lives,” Colburn said.
Regarding the on-field product, the Raiders’ new coach said his squad has talented athletes they want to continue to get the ball to and that his offensive line is as strong as ever.
Colburn said he wants to build on the family atmosphere that is already part of the program, and he noted that his players have been hard at work this offseason.
“There’s not a whole lot we have to really change. The hardest part has already been done, per se,” he said. “I mean, obviously, we want to keep growing and keep moving that momentum going forward, but I feel like the culture is really here, so we can make an impact in the next few years.”
