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Next Gulfport Head Coach


Wildcats1980
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Gulfport would never hire one of the local small school coaches who are winning lots of games, like Feaster at Stone, or Fant in Vancleave, mainly because they want a big name for immediate success. Researching assistant coaches statewide should bring some good names from one of the big schools playing for state championships. The pay is competitive, and their talent level is coming back up after whatever that was that happened during covid. Gotta get somebody in before spring training. 

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43 minutes ago, Vott said:

Hasnt Dolan moved around enough over the past ten years?

 

Yes, he has.  And that wouldn't be a hire so much as a rental.  Nothing quite like the the Mississippi High School Football Coaches Recycling Bin.

 

Gulfport would be well advised to expand their search to include out of state candidates.

Edited by Archer
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 I don't think Dolan and Dyess would be good fits.  Mancuso would be interesting, but don't think he would be interested.  They have tried the older more successful coaches in the past with not much more success.  I don't think you have to look outside the state. There are more than qualified coaches in this state.  Just have to find the right fit. Someone that is not on the way out.  A Chris Jones, Blake Pennock, Sam Williams type coach.  All these coaches were successful at smaller schools and worked their way up.  Those type guys are out there.

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9 hours ago, David said:

Gulfport would never hire one of the local small school coaches who are winning lots of games, like Feaster at Stone, or Fant in Vancleave, mainly because they want a big name for immediate success. Researching assistant coaches statewide should bring some good names from one of the big schools playing for state championships. The pay is competitive, and their talent level is coming back up after whatever that was that happened during covid. Gotta get somebody in before spring training. 

Fant has a record of 20-23 in 4 seasons in Vancleave. Two of those seasons include being in arguably the worst division in all of 4A. Outside of this year (which was padded with pre-region cupcakes), he has never had a winning record as a Head Coach. 1-3 in the playoffs. They had a nice season and a surprise playoff win this year, but I think we need to pump the brakes before anointing Fant as a success story just yet. 

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14 minutes ago, coastfootballfanman said:

Fant has a record of 20-23 in 4 seasons in Vancleave. Two of those seasons include being in arguably the worst division in all of 4A. Outside of this year (which was padded with pre-region cupcakes), he has never had a winning record as a Head Coach. 1-3 in the playoffs. They had a nice season and a surprise playoff win this year, but I think we need to pump the brakes before anointing Fant as a success story just yet. 

Yeah, I’d have to agree about Fant. He’s a popular guy with the kids and parents because Vancleave has never really had the limited success that he’s brought. That run dominant offense is working at a lot of places like Picayune, but I don’t see Gulfport moving to that with the skill position players they have. In my mind, the route that Ocean Springs took, which is to find the most successful young offensive coordinator at a larger school in the Jackson area or otherwise would be good. Gulfport would have to pay up, give him the reigns to build the program, and be patient. Has anybody said just why they got rid of their coach from the last few years? I thought he was getting them back to their usual good football. 

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6 minutes ago, David said:

Yeah, I’d have to agree about Fant. He’s a popular guy with the kids and parents because Vancleave has never really had the limited success that he’s brought. That run dominant offense is working at a lot of places like Picayune, but I don’t see Gulfport moving to that with the skill position players they have. In my mind, the route that Ocean Springs took, which is to find the most successful young offensive coordinator at a larger school in the Jackson area or otherwise would be good. Gulfport would have to pay up, give him the reigns to build the program, and be patient. Has anybody said just why they got rid of their coach from the last few years? I thought he was getting them back to their usual good football. 

He just stepped down. He is still the principal

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9 minutes ago, Vott said:

He just stepped down. He is still the principal

Oh, okay. Didn’t know, and I thought he was bringing them back up. It’s still a good program for a young coach, even if he just gets a few winning seasons before moving. 

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17 minutes ago, David said:

Yeah, I’d have to agree about Fant. He’s a popular guy with the kids and parents because Vancleave has never really had the limited success that he’s brought. That run dominant offense is working at a lot of places like Picayune, but I don’t see Gulfport moving to that with the skill position players they have. In my mind, the route that Ocean Springs took, which is to find the most successful young offensive coordinator at a larger school in the Jackson area or otherwise would be good. Gulfport would have to pay up, give him the reigns to build the program, and be patient. Has anybody said just why they got rid of their coach from the last few years? I thought he was getting them back to their usual good football. 

OS didn't find their coach from the Jackson area.  They found him at Pass Christian after he lead them to the playoffs in his first year.  But he was the OC at Clinton before that.

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As a Gulfport Alumni, I would like to see them go for an experienced coach that has had success at a previous program. My reservation with an out of state candidate would be how long will they be willing to stay? I do not want a coach that plans to be here for 5 or so years to get vested in Mississippi and then bolt out again. I would love to see Gulfport go after a guy like Tyrone Shorter. I doubt he would be interested in leaving the program he has built in Louisville, but I would make him tell me no. Great pay, great lifestyle and a nice area with solid schools. Gulfport is a good job that could be something special with the right guy in charge. The power-I and wing-T looks will not fly at Gulfport. The fans and community hate that style of play and you would hear nothing but complaints when Gulfport was running the pistol/flexbone a few years ago and reeled off 3 straight region titles. 

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14 minutes ago, JACKTOWN91 said:

If I were Gulfport I would go after an assistant from a good 6A program. Someone like Greg Robinson who is the long time DC at Brandon or Benjie Merchant who is the DC at Oak Grove and has coaching in his DNA. Those kind of guys are the ones they should be targeting. 

Why not get OG's HC? It would be a pay raise for him I'm sure. 

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51 minutes ago, Wildcats1980 said:

I agree. Or maybe a Chip Bilderback at Columbia. 

Bilderback will be a tough get with his wife vested as women’s basketball coach at Jones College. It works for them now living in Hattiesburg area and both commuting to Ellisville and Columbia respectively. He would be a great hire but I do not know if it would be doable. 

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