Belton hired Todd Vaughn as their new head football coach for the 2013 season at the board of education meeting Jan. 31.</p><p>The community had an opportunity to meet Vaughn at Southwick Stadium Feb. 1, where he spoke about applying for the job, his past coaching experience and his teaching philosophy.</p><p>Vaughn said he heard about the job opening in December at a conference for the Missouri High School Football Coaches Association. He applied and got an interview.</p><p>&#x201C;When I left the interview, I crossed my fingers and was hoping they would call me one day and offer me the job,&#x201D; Vaughn said. &#x201C;I really wanted to be here because of the kids and the administration and leadership I saw. There is a lot of potential.&#x201D;</p><p>Vaughn is leaving Farmington High School, where he has been the head coach for seven years. Since 2006, Vaughn led Farmington to a 57-23 record, including one Mississippi Area Football Conference title, two Southeastern Missouri North Division Championships and three MSHSAA Class 4 District titles. In those three playoff appearances, the Knights advanced to the quarterfinals in 2008 and semifinals in 2006 and 2011. He was also the head coach at Holt High School in the Wentzville school district from 2003-2006.</p><p>He said that he teaches and coaches with a &#x201C;my child&#x201D; philosophy. In other words, he treats the kids he interacts with on and off the field as if they were his own children.</p><p>&#x201C;I treat kids as if they were my child,&#x201D; Vaughn said. &#x201C;I have the same expectations of them as if they were my child, which are high expectations, but with the understanding that they are children.&#x201D;</p><p>Vaughn graduated from Fort Osage High School in rural Independence, then attended Missouri Valley College where he also played football. He received his Bachelor&#x2019;s Degree in Education from Lindenwood University in St. Charles. He is married to Kelly, who is also a teacher, and they have four children. Vaughn has family that lives in the Kansas City area, including his mother and brother.</p><p>&#x201C;My heart has always been on this side of the state,&#x201D; Vaughn said. &#x201C;I think two or three years ago, I decided that I really wanted to be here, but we were in a good place. I just didn&#x2019;t want to be any place. I had some opportunities in the past to come back over here, but it just didn&#x2019;t feel like it was the right situation.&#x201D;</p><p>Vaughn takes the reins from Mark Thomas, who will become the head coach at Odessa. In the two years under Thomas, the Pirates were 3-17, with wins over William Chrisman and Ruskin 2011 and Oak Park in 2012.