County football assistants in place, some waiting to fill slots
Change is inevitable in high school sports, but status quo might be a better description this season for most Bay County football coaching staffs.
Three of the five county teams have complete staffs in place, with little change from a season ago. Two schools, Bay and Rutherford, are waiting to fill slots as the start of the school year draws closer on Aug. 11.
Bay is hoping to add two more coaches, but that is contingent on what the Tornadoes can offer a coach with either a teaching position, which needs to be structured by Bay District Schools, or by supplement. If all goes as planned, Bay coach Frank Sorrells would like to hire two coaches to be offensive and defensive coordinators.
Conrad Moon will return as an offensive line coach and could potentially handle offensive coordinator duties again, depending on the status of new hires. Glenn Manley will coach wide receivers and handle special teams, Brad Susler will coach defensive line and former Florida State standout Tay Cody will mentor defensive backs.
Jarad Moon, another former Seminole linked with that program’s glory years, also may lend a hand, though his time with the team has been limited in recent years due to his work schedule. Thomas Craft returns to coach the junior varsity.
Cody and former Rutherford assistant Mark Stanton are the new additions thus far. Stanton will help on defense and will teach at C.C. Washington, the middle school portion of Rosenwald High School.
Stanton’s departure was only part of the change with the Rams. Athletic Director Kirk Harrell said new head coach Jeff Rolson is waiting to fill three assistant positions. Harrell said there are two supplemental slots available, but he was hopeful a few teaching positions would be added.
Jason Franzese and Anthony Collier are holdovers. Franzese is coaching wide receivers and defensive backs and Collier is handling both lines.
Sean Killett, a former coach at Bartow, is new to Rutherford’s staff. Rolson, who previously coached in Central Florida, was familiar with Killett and coveted him as an assistant. Killett will install an option offense.
Harrell said the school will accept volunteers and fill the supplemental positions if teaching slots aren’t available. Rutherford currently has its hands tied waiting on word on any openings before it can proceed.
Arnold and Bozeman went without much change for next season.
Bozeman may add another volunteer on the varsity and middle school levels, Coach Loren Tillman said.
Stuart Brannon returns as offensive coordinator and running backs/quarterbacks coach, Michael Pratt is again the offensive line/strength and conditioning coach, Aaron York is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Cory Gaddy will coach wide receivers and defensive backs and Donald Jenkins will coach the defensive line.
Sean Fields is the head coach and Daryl Shumate an assistant on the Bucks’ expanded middle school program.
Arnold is currently without one coach from last season due to the elimination of a teaching position. Jim Brant, a longtime assistant with head coach James Hale, was the outside linebackers/tight ends coach and Hale is hopeful he can return in some capacity this season.
Allen Cox is the defensive coordinator, with Hale still the offensive coordinator. Bill Thomas is the offensive line and strength and conditioning coach, Jeff Skipper is the offensive line/defensive line coach, Dennis Bush returns to help with receivers, defensive backs and quarterbacks and Bryan Normand will help with the secondary and also serve as an assistant on the JV level. Ryan Ziem returns as JV head coach.
Mosley went without an assistant to Perry Brown leaving the program this season. Recent Dolphins coaches Vern Barth and Josh Wright went eastward for head coaching jobs in the past.
Stalwart Bill Graff returns as a do-it-all assistant. His duties include offensive line and defensive ends, strength and conditioning and being in charge of equipment in his 33rd year at the school.
Danny Nagy returns as defensive coordinator and Mike Williams will coach linebackers and wide receivers. Brian Daniels has been moved up from JV to coach the defensive line and special teams. Chris Martello takes over as JV head coach.
Brown is hopeful his son, Garret, can work out his schedule to help for another season. The father-son duo has been in command of Mosley’s offensive game plan, with the elder Brown ceding more play-calling duties to the understudy in recent seasons.
The only loss on the staff was Shane Holder, who was relocated through the military.
Brown said several volunteers will aid the Dolphins this season and added he always could use a few more.
