Plenty of coaching changes in area

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

travisd@nwfdailynews.com

Navarre athletic director Scott Murphy can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Over the course of the past year, Murphy has had to fill nine coaching vacancies within the Raiders' athletic program and as the calendar flips to summer, his project is finally nearing its end.

Navarre, like most schools around the area during this time of year, entered the summer looking to fill out its coaching roster.

 Murphy has already tabbed new coaches for football (Chad Lashley), girls basketball (David Noles), boys basketball (Rob Whitley), track (Joe Austin), baseball (Mickey O'Quinn) and girls soccer (Rob Simon), largely by promoting from within.

"It's gone great," Murphy said. "They're good coaches and they all wanted to be head coaches and we feel they can fill those positions."

Now, only volleyball and swimming remain and Murphy voiced confidence that both instances would be resolved later this week.

For Murphy and high school administrators throughout the state, filling the holes has been made more difficult by a lack of teaching positions available due to recent budget cuts.

"It's not like in college where you're just hiring a coach," Murphy noted. "They could be the greatest coach but if they can't teach the kids and follow the rules set by the FHSAA, they're not going to work for us.

"They have to get kids to graduate."

At South Walton, David Barron welcomed in Jim Hicks to take over the school's weightlifting program and Greg Niemiec as the new cross country coach.

Niceville athletic director John Hicks is searching for a new swimming coach while Crestview has added Keith White as its new girls basketball coach.

Following the retirement of Kathy Combest, Lisa Roy, who once played for Combest, is now set to lead the Baker volleyball program.

Fort Walton Beach found a new wrestling coach during the winter in Tobi Marez and is now looking for a new tennis coach and boys golf coach.

At Rocky Bayou, John Reaves has welcomed Julie Williams (cross country), Dana Arthur (weightlifting), Joshua Childers (weightlifting) and David Williams (assistant football coach) to a Knights' athletic staff that could see more changes.

Meanwhile, Choctawhatchee first-year athletic director Greg Thomas said he has been fortunate this summer.

Thomas was able to elevate Scott Johnson to head coach of the Indians' baseball program while finding a more than capable volunteer in Lezlie Miles to guide the cross country team.

"We've been able to maintain most of our coaches," said Thomas, who added he is in search of an assistant softball coach. "I think we've been fortunate in that we've been able to keep most of our coaching staff intact."

"It's hard to find coaches that will move around without a teaching job because that's the part that makes your salary," Thomas added. "We have some voids but we have absolutely no teaching positions to fill those voids."

Instead, Thomas and many in similar positions will look for volunteers.

"You go with what you have," Thomas said. "A lot of schools may have to rely more on volunteers, whatever you can do to make sure the kids are getting what they need to be successful.

"It's not the ideal situation, but you have to do the best with what you have."

Officials at Freeport, Walton, Laurel Hill and Paxton reported no coaching changes on the immediate horizon.