Breaking down the high school football coaching carousel

The high school football coaching carousel is always fast-moving in the offseason, but this year it seems as if it's made an unusual amount of stops at top high school programs.

Numerous football dynasties will be under new leadership this fall, headlined by perhaps the country's most well-known high school team, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.).

Long-time head coach Bob Ladouceur announced in early January that he was stepping down after 34 seasons and 399 career wins.

At the same time, the school announced that 33-year-old Justin Alumbaugh, one of Ladouceur's assistants, would be promoted to fill the role of head coach.



"I would probably still be coaching if I didn't have the perfect guy to take over," Ladouceur said. "It was more important for me that the program stay strong than for me to hang on a few more years to coach."

Not every coach has the luxury of picking his successor, nor is every school afforded such a smooth transition at the helm.

Here's a look at coaching changes at other notable programs around the country:

— Georgia powerhouse Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) will have a new head coach on the sidelines this fall: former assistant Welton Coffey.

Former head coach Jeff Herron resigned to become the head coach at Prince Avenue Christian (Athens, Ga.), prompting a coaching search that attracted nationwide interest.

Coffey's promotion gives the program continuity and suggests that the team will stick with its methodical Wing T offense.

— Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) is in the market for a new head coach, after Troy Thomas resigned to become the head coach at Crespi (Encino, Calif.), his alma mater.



Thomas was highly successful at Servite, winning Pac-5 titles in 2009 and 2010 and guiding the Friars to a CIF Bowl Game title in 2009.

Servite announced on its website that it will be launching a nationwide coaching search for Thomas' replacement, with interviews set to begin at the end of next week.

Multiple reports have indicated that two of the area's top coaches, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) head coach Matt Logan and Mission Viejo (Calif.) head coach Bob Johnson, will likely not apply for the position.

— The hottest program in Colorao, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), is looking for a new head coach, after Brent Vieselmeyer left to take a job in the college ranks.

Rod Sherman, the school's athletic director and the team's offensive coordinator, is acting as the interim head coach.

Whoever lands the job will inherit a talent-filled program, led by senior Christian McCaffrey.



— Jobs in Cincinnati's Greater Catholic League don't open up very often, which is why the opening at La Salle (Cincinnati) was closely followed around the Midwest.

Ultimately, the school hired Nate Moore, who had previously been the head coach at Minster (Ohio).

— There's been plenty of movement around the Texas coaching circuit as well.

Horn (Mesquite, Texas) head coach Rodney Webb left to become the head coach at Rockwall (Texas).

Permian (Odessa, Texas), of Friday Night Lights fame, hired Blake Feldt as its next head coach, replacing Gary Gaines, who concluded his second tour of duty as the school's head coach.

One of the top 5A programs in the state, Steele (Cibolo, Texas), opted to promote from within when head coach Mike Jinks joined the college ranks. The San Antonio-area school made assistant Scott Lenhoff its next head coach.



— High school coaches taking college jobs was a trend this offseason, given the NCAA's rule change.
Vigor (Prichard, Ala.) head coach Kerry Stevenson joined Alabama's staff as the director of player personnel.

Successful Carver (Columbus, Ga.) head coach Dell McGee took a job at Auburn, joining former Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.) head coach Chip Lindsey, who also accepted a job with the Tigers this winter.

— Mississippi coaching legend Ricky Woods made news when he accepted the head coaching job at Peabody (Trenton, Tenn.).

Woods pioneered the South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) football dynasty, winning numerous state titles and at one point, winning 60 consecutive games.

— In Florida, both teams that played in last fall's Class 6A title game will be under new leadership this season.

Central (Miami, Fla.) head coach Telly Lockette joined the staff at South Florida. The school has yet to name his replacement, though a source close to the program believes the school may promote from within.



Gainesville (Fla.) hired Hernando assistant Mark Latsko as its head coach, after James Thomson left to become the head coach at DeLand (Fla.).

Also in the Sunshine State, Pete Walker, who coached Kelvin Taylor at Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.), became the head coach at Clewiston (Fla.).

T.J. Jackson looks to turn Atlantic (Delray Beach, Fla.) into a perennial powerhouse, while Mike Rumph looks to guide Sony Michel and American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) to a deep playoff run.

— At Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), the more things change, the more they stay the same. After Chris Miller left to become the head coach at Spartanburg (S.C.), the school named Bobby Bentley as head coach.

Bentley, who also turned down an offer to join Auburn's staff, was the head coach at Byrnes from 1995-2006. Before accepting the head coaching job for a second time, Bentley was the school's athletic director as well as the team's offensive coordinator.

His son, Shuler, returns as the team's quarterback after a prolific junior season.



— In New Jersey, 332-game winning Pierce Frauenheim decided to hang it up after 46 years at Immaculata (Somerville, N.J.), paving the way for John Hack to become the team's new head coach.

Other notable new head coaches:
Nathaniel Jones, Karr (New Orleans)
Kabridi Dede, Woodbridge (Va.)
John Konecki, Crete-Monee (Crete, Ill.)
Will Wolford, St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
Kenric Jameison, Lakewood (Calif.)
Kyle Lindsay, Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
Cortez Allen, M.L. King (Lithonia, Ga.)