ABBEVILLE, La. — Abbeville football is entering a new chapter with a familiar face back home.
Brent Indest first got his start with the Wildcats in 1996. Nearly three decades later, he is back in Abbeville as the program's head football coach for the 2026 season.
Indest returns to the Wildcats after a coaching journey that included a championship run at Catholic-New Iberia in 2017 and a stint at Lakeshore High School in 2025.
Now back where his coaching journey began, Indest is bringing the same principles he believes are necessary to build a successful program: hard work, discipline and dedication.
That message has already been a major focus during the offseason.
“It's a solid work ethic. We've developed that over the summer. I made these guys understand that you have to be here.”
Indest says establishing that standard has meant making difficult decisions with players who were not willing to buy into the program's expectations.
“We had a few guys that didn't get with the program and they're no longer with us, and you have to do that to let everybody know that you mean business.”
For Abbeville junior quarterback Jacolby Campbell, Indest has already brought a different level of discipline and accountability to the Wildcats.
“I feel amazing about our new head coach that we have this year. He's bringing in what we didn't have last year from our coaches, like discipline, trusting what he's telling us and trusting the process.”Campbell says he has already seen progress from the team as players adjust to Indest's expectations.
With a familiar coach back home and a new standard in place, Abbeville is looking to turn that work ethic into results on the field.
The Wildcats face Welsh on Sept. 4 as they continue preparing for the 2026 season.
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