BEALLSVILLE — Everyone has their “dream job,” but not everyone actually get the chance to hold that position.

By virtue of Thursday’s 5-0 vote by the Switzerland of Ohio Board of Education, Rusty Lucas can be added to the list of those who have fulfilled that dream.

Lucas was formally hired as the next head football coach at Beallsville High School. He replaces Larry Deem, who held the position for four seasons.

“This is honestly like a dream come true,” Lucas said. “I never thought this opportunity would present itself, but when (school officials) approached me to see if I was interested, I said, ‘absolutely.'”

Lucas is no stranger to Beallsville. He graduated from the school in 1986, still lives in the school district, his children were Blue Devils and he’s a long-time assistant under his “coach and mentor,” Dave Caldwell.

“I am ready to get started,” Lucas said. “I am just extremely excited and motivated. I am just really looking forward to the season.”

Being a Beallsville guy, Lucas is well aware of the challenges that have faced the Division VII school. While passion and determination are always among the character traits of Blue Devils’ football players, low numbers are always part of the equation, too.

“We have a lot of good athletes, but it’s a matter of plugging the people in the right positions,” Lucas said. “If we can get the kids to buy in, like I think they will, I really believe we have a lot of potential and can surprise some people.”

Beallsville’s facilties have been greatly upgraded since Lucas was last on the varsity staff. The Delmas Moore Fieldhouse was built last summer and officially dedicated last season. The Switzerland of Ohio BOE also recently approved additional improvements at the stadium, including building a new press box and increasing the visitor’s bleachers.

“Our facilities are top-of-the-line now,” Lucas said. “We have a really nice weight room, locker room. It’s really looking nice.”

Lucas spent 14 seasons working under Caldwell and won’t hesitate to lean on the OVAC Hall of Fame coach, who guided the Blue Devils into small-school prominence.

“I was the assistant offensive coordinator under Coach Caldwell, so I know that offense really well,” Lucas said. “You’re going to see a lot of the things I learned from Coach Caldwell from our team moving forward, but I will put my own spin on it, too.”

Lucas, who entered the United States Army after graduating high school, is retired from the military. He spent 10 years active and 15 years in the reserves. Along with his time on the Blue Devils’ varsity staff, Lucas has also worked at the junior high level the last couple of seasons.

“I am looking forward to meeting this challenge head on,” Lucas said. “I hope to get the community involved and get them to buy into what we’re doing, so the stands are full again every week.”

Lucas, who has yet to meet with his team in its entirety, has started putting together a coaching staff. He’s already received commitments from Dave Wiles, Tim Brown and Ken Darby.

Rusty and his high-school sweetheart, Kathy, have been married for 31 years. The couple has two grown children, Eric and Derek. They’re also expecting their first grandchild in June.