Matt Roth has faced it as an opponent. He's coached it. And now he gets to lead Kentwood football

With the start of the fall football seasons nearly three months away, Matt Roth began looking at film in the past few weeks of Lakes High School's opening-weekend opponent - the Kentwood Conquerors.

And now he'll have to do an about-face.

Roth, 37, was hired Friday to become Kentwood's new coach, replacing Mike Bush, who resigned last March after seven seasons.

Once Bush's chief offensive play caller, Roth becomes the school's fifth coach in program history after two assistant-coaching stints at Lakes.

"It's an honor and a privilege to be a part of winning teams - and winning cultures," said Roth, who was the Lakes' offensive coordinator the past two seasons under Dave Miller.

"This opportunity (at Kentwood) is substantial. I've lived it. I've played against it. I've watched it. And I've coached it."

Roth has been exposed to some of the most successful coaches in Washington high school football - starting as an offensive lineman at Auburn High School in former coach Gordon Elliott's first season at the school in 2001.

In coaching, Roth has really cut his teeth at Lakes, serving as an offensive line coach and defensive coordinator in his first term (2006-2015) - and then the Lancers' offensive play caller.

He left Lakes in 2016 to become an assistant at Kentwood under Bush, including as the offensive coordinator, for three seasons.

The opportunity to return to a program that is 10 minutes from his house was too good to pass up. He had an interview Thursday, and was hired less than 24 hours later.

Roth will meet with the Kentwood team for the first time Monday.

"I think I am as prepared for this as I can be," Roth said. "I have done it all without the challenge of being the head guy."

And his first opponent is against Lakes.

"Now I have to prepare for them," he said with a chuckle. "The flip side is, all my friends will be there."