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Football: Mailahn named new coach at Woodbury

By Phil Anastasia

Al Mailahn doesn't believe in change for change's sake.

Especially not when it comes to the Woodbury football program.

"It's not broke so I'm not going to try to fix it," said Mailahn, who has been named Woodbury's new football coach. "I'm just going to try to keep it going."

Mailahn was an assistant for the last six years under Zack Valentine, who resigned after the 2012 season. Valentine was 82-37 in 11 seasons and his 2009 team won the South Jersey Group 1 title.

In 2012, Woodbury was 10-2, won the Colonial Conference Patriot Division title and reached the South Jersey Group 1 title game.

Mailahn was the head coach at Haddon Heights for 14 seasons before joining Valentine's staff. Mailahn also has been an assistant at Haddon Heights and Woodrow Wilson as well as Temple University.

"I still had the itch," to be a head coach, Mailahn said.

Mailahn said he hopes to keep the team's coaching staff together. He will continue to run the defense, with long-time assistant Butch Gale directing the offense.

Mailahn, who teaches health and physical education at Haddon Heights, said Valentine will stay involved in the program in running the weight room.

"It's such a great program," Mailahn said of Woodbury. "There's so much tradition and Zack did such a great job.

"I just want to oil it up and keep it going."

Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com. Follow @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.