NFL coaching changes have big impact on top high school programs

Revolving door

As quickly as a coach's son can show up on campus, one can depart just as swiftly.

Plant learned that lesson in recent weeks. Roberts, who Weiner believes will be a Top 10 national recruit as a senior, is preparing to transfer from Plant to Carmel (He also considered Cathedral and Noblesville.). His father Alfredo was not retained by Greg Schiano and landed a job with the Colts in February.

Roberts will be difficult to replace. Weiner said it was painful to read out his 40-yard dash times - 4.51 and 4.52 - on his notoriously slow hand time, knowing Roberts likely would never suit up for Plant again.

"Those times aren't for me. They're for someone else," he joked.

Wright, who could only confirm that Alfredo and his brother Avery did the school's shadow program for prospective students, said he has read articles in the paper about Roberts transferring there, but could not comment any further since he has yet to enroll in the school.

"From what I've read, they're coming," he said.

Meanwhile, University Lab's (Baton Rouge, La.) loss is Plant's gain. When Ron Cooper left LSU to join Schiano's staff with the Buccaneers, his son Tristan enrolled at Plant.

There's also the chance that Ron Cooper, who coached the likes of Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu, may offer a few pointers at Plant's practices, similar to what Alfredo Roberts did during the NFL lockout, another perk to having a coach's son in the program.

"He just wanted to coach. My receivers coach was out of town for our spring game and Alfredo was our lone coach for that position. It was so cool," Weiner said.

What the future holds

For now, Kevin Wright is in the clear.

The Colts' new head coach, Chuck Pagano, held on to running backs coach Kevin Walker, meaning his son Jalen, the jewel of the Carmel football middle school program, is not going anywhere - for now.

"We're hoping he'll be here all the way through his high school years," he said.

If not, some school just like Carmel, but located in the shadows of some different NFL stadium, will be the beneficiary.