JEFFERSONVILLE — Ask Bob Redman for a minute and be prepared to talk for hours.

The first-year head football coach at Jeffersonville High School can’t contain his excitement for what’s happening with his new program.

“Every day,” Redman said in a mile-a-minute tone. “Every day, you see something else that you like more and more.”

After 18 years as head coach at Male High School in Louisville, Redman made the trek north into new territory north of the Ohio River, taking over for Steve Cooley at Jeff.

“Didn’t really have to think about it at all,” Redman said. “I’ve moved before. Male was the longest I’ve ever been at one place, and I had 18 years there that I’ll never forget or ever want to forget. But I was excited about the chance to come here and start something new. It’s refreshing to start a new challenge.”

Redman has spent 35 years in coaching at four schools — Durrett, Waggener, Ballard and Male. He has compiled 315 career wins and won three Kentucky state championships in 1993, 1998 and 2000, as well as three more state runner-up finishes in 1984, 2001 and 2002.

“Bob’s track record speaks for itself,” said new Jeffersonville High School principal James Sexton. “He has been a part of winning traditions before, and he wants to make Jeff High another program that enjoys a tremendous level of success. The feedback from the kids and community has been tremendous since he has been hired. We have the utmost confidence he will make our program great.”

Redman said interest from within school in the program has been extremely high, noting that participation in the summer program exceeded what he initially estimated.

“There’s been tremendous turnout all summer,” he stated. “Kids want to be part of something new, and I think what we’re seeing is a product of that.”

Success has already found the Devils in some ways.

Redman took two teams to Indianapolis for a 7-on-7 tournament in June and each came back the winners in their respective divisions. The team also won its division at a Midwest regional 7-on-7 tournament in Illinois and last month Jeff was a part of one of the nation’s biggest national 7-on-7 tournaments in Hooever, Ala. — a tourney littered with Division I prospects and the top high school programs nationally.

“It was like a step up from high school to college in a lot of ways with the teams that we saw down there,” Redman said. “That first day, I think we were in awe of what we were seeing. The second day, we were prepared for what we were facing — and it showed in our play.”

Redman said the team faced the top-seeded program in the tourney, Bob Jones High School (Ala.) on Day 2 and then took on one of Louisiana’s best programs in the second game, narrowly losing a two-point decision in the waning seconds.

“You just saw the kids grow right before you that day,” Redman said. “They went down there in the toughest of circumstances and became better football players.

“I took 25 Cub Scouts to Alabama with me and came back with Marines.”

Redman opened his first camp at Jeff on Monday and now the focus becomes Aug. 20, when Jeff opens its season against Bloomington North at Blair Field.

“All our focus now goes to that one,” said Redman. “We’re taking on a good program that had a big day against us last year. I hope they respond to the challenge, and they’re ready because we want to make this season the start of something big here.”

Redman says he knows his team is littered with potential, which he feels can and should be realized as the season progresses.

“You might not see it on Day 1, but we work every day with an eye on November,” he said. “We really think that we will be a player in the tournament when that time comes. I hope people see that and can be as excited about it as we are.”