The Cranston East football program will be welcoming back a familiar face as former player and coach James Cook was announced as the team’s latest head coach.

After playing for CLCF as a youth and eventually for the Thunderbolts in high school, Cook began coaching and was the school’s first-ever freshman head coach in 1998. He previously worked with teams like Bishop Hendricken and Toll Gate as an assistant.

Cook then made stops at Pilgrim, Smithfield and Johnston before landing the varsity head coaching gig at Ponaganset in 2018. The Chieftains were coming off a winless season the year before, but he would turn the program around and go 6-1 his first year, guiding them back to the postseason. Ponaganset would then go 5-3 and reach the playoffs in 2019 and went on to win the Super Bowl in 2021.

Cook is thrilled to return to his alma mater and take on the challenge of rebuilding another historic program.

“It’s an honor and privilege to be back with Cranston East. It’s exciting, the staff is excited. We can’t wait to get going and to get the kids on the field,” said Cook. “Myself and my staff have been to other schools that were rebuilding. Things can change pretty quickly, so with the athletes that Cranston East has, we’re just looking forward to getting them on the field and seeing what they can do. We’re looking to be competitive every game while each week trying to get better.”

Cook and his staff have been getting acclimated the last few weeks and opened up the weight room while digging into last year’s film. The numbers were strong with 36 kids in attendance lifting and the staff is expecting to welcome back most of last year’s group which began to gain some traction, earning its first league win since 2018.

“I’ve been watching film on them for about a month, so I’m familiar with the kids on the field and the positions that they play. A lot of kids have reached out and they’re excited about the upcoming season also,” Cook said.

As the new regime looks to build toward the future, regular participation and attention to detail will be emphasized, according to Cook.

“Attendance at practice, hard work and discipline. We stress fundamentals every day and do a lot of drill work. We want to make sure that we are fundamentally sound and with our game plan, we want to make sure that when the kids are on the field they know exactly what to do. We want to put them in a position to be successful when they’re out there,” said Cook. “(East is) rich in history. I played there, graduated there and we play in a landmark stadium in Cranston. There’s a lot of excitement.”