Three years have passed since McNary football’s last win: a blowout victory over North Medford in the first round of the playoffs. From that point on, the Celtics have endured a 27-game losing streak.
Josh Riddell, hired as the head coach on Friday, Jan. 24, has a plan to alter McNary football. The battle, he said, “is going to start from the ground up – getting people interested from a young age and wanting to be a Celtic football player in high school.”
Riddell, 38, grew up in Keizer on North Moneda Avenue. His dad, Duane Riddell, was a well-respected coach as long as Josh can remember, and his two older brothers set an athletic standard in their house. He grew up saturated in competitive sports.
Since he was old enough to watch football, Riddell wanted to be a Celtic. He was a ball boy during McNary’s state championship season in 1997, daydreaming about his future on the turf.
But when he was in high school, his father became the head coach at McKay, and Riddell decided to follow his dad. He had a flourishing football career at McKay, earning the first-team all-league award during his junior year as a defensive back and his senior year as a quarterback.
After high school, he attended community college in California, playing quarterback for two seasons before transferring to Mississippi State in 2007. he played three games for the Bulldogs before a serious injury ended his NCAA prospects.
Riddell returned home for his last two seasons, playing with Western Oregon University in 2008. During his senior season, he passed for 2,776 yards, setting Western’s single-season record.
Post-graduation, Riddell joined McNary’s coaching team under Rick Ward, where he was the offensive coordinator. It was a full-circle moment for him.
“It was great to see those same people that helped me as a kid back when I was just a knucklehead trying to grow up,” he said.
After coaching for a year at McNary, Riddell spent the next decade in coaching positions around the area. He was first an assistant coach under his dad at Gervais and then spent three years coaching at West Salem High School. In 2016, Riddell accepted his first head coaching job – at McKay.
“I learned a lot at McKay,” Riddell said, reflecting on his two seasons as coach. “I learned how to get the best out of students and how to build those relationships. And I also learned about the level of commitment required to be a coach.”
He returned to West Salem in 2018 and spent the next six years as a football offensive coordinator.
Now, stepping into his new role at McNary, Riddell feels equipped to improve the program.
“I feel very prepared in this situation,” he said, juxtaposing his experience at McKay – when he was hired in late June – with his new position. He has seven months before football season kicks off at McNary, giving him time to build relationships with students, teachers, and the Keizer community.
At McNary, Riddell sees a mutual commitment to Keizer. He says that a driven community will play a major role in the rebuilding.
“Getting into another head coach job, I wanted to make sure that the people around me were invested and had the same interest. I see people here that want to be at McNary, and want to be here for the long run,” he said.
Riddell considers his family settled in Keizer. With his job as a special education instructor at Claggett Creek Middle School, and three daughters in elementary school, he is at McNary for the long game.
“I want to see the football program through,” he said.
His rebuilding strategy starts at the youth and middle school levels. Partnering with McNary Youth Football, Riddell seeks to expand flag football options for elementary kids. He wants them to have a Celtic-centered mindset by the time they reach middle school.
“A lot of the problem with McNary football comes with athletes getting into high school, and then transferring to another school to play football,” he said.
Riddell wants kids in the bleachers on game night to dream about wearing a Celtics jersey, just like he did.
For the 2025-26 season, Riddell is focusing on hiring competitive coaches and placing players and assistant coaches in fitting roles.
He is also recruiting athletes at McNary to join the team.
“We don’t need specialized football players. We need athletes. If you look athletic, I’m going to look at you and say, hey – you can play football.”
As for McNary’s losing streak, Riddell remains unconcerned. He instead focuses on his current mission – fostering a family-like atmosphere in the football program.
“I’m not going to talk about wins and losses, because that’s going to take care of itself with the culture we create,” he said.
Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected].
