West Linn High School announced Wednesday that it has hired Keanon Lowe, one of Time magazine’s heroes of 2019, as its head football coach.

Lowe, who led Parkrose to its first state playoff win in program history in 2019 and the Broncos’ most successful season ever, drew even more attention in May when he took a shotgun away from a student who was later determined to be suicidal.

Video surfaced afterward showing Lowe hugging the student in the hallway after taking the gun away.

“I’m proud of the work I did inside the school, and not just on the football field,” Lowe said. “I’ll forever be a Parkrose Bronco.”

Lowe, who was a standout player for the Oregon Ducks before becoming a high school coach, replaces a legendary Duck at West Linn, Chris Miller, who left to coach in the XFL. Miller led West Linn to the Class 6A state championship in 2016.

“Having a chance to compete with Jesuit and Ken Potter, Lake Oswego and Steve Coury, Central Catholic and Steve Pyne — those are three legendary coaches I look forward to competing against,” Lowe said.

The Parkrose football team finished the 2017 season 0-9. Lowe took over in 2018 and led the Broncos to a 5-4 regular season and the playoffs, where they lost to Silverton in the first round.

He followed that season in 2019 by leading Parkrose to the Class 5A quarterfinals and a 7-3 overall record.

Lowe said he informed his Parkrose players ahead of the announcement, and that ultimately they were proud of him.

“My guys are family,” Lowe said. "They know my goals as a coach, my goals in life. All my guys are happy for me to get an opportunity at the 6A level. They were ecstatic for me.”

Lowe was a star player for Potter and Jesuit, earning all-state honors on offense and defense in 2009 and being named Class 6A defensive player of the year. He played at Oregon from 2010-14, starting at wide receiver from 2012-14, making 68 catches for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns.

West Linn athletic director Mark Horak said the school spent two months looking for the right coach to replace Miller, and Lowe’s track record on and off the field helped him rise to the top.

“His relationships that he has and can make with the kids, and with other people in the building, really stood out,” Horak said. “Another big factor was his offensive and defensive strategies are very close to what Chris Miller did with the football program.”

Lowe said he’s scheduled to meet his new players Thursday.

“I’m ready to hit the ground running,” he said.

-- Mike Swanson