Next Gulfport Head Coach

[MSHSFootballFan]

If Gulfport hires Pennock, as coastfootballfanman  alluded to in an earlier post, the dynamics in the highest classification of Mississippi football will change drastically, and quickly.  Gulfport has all the necessary resources, including the athletes, to be elite.  A Blake Pennock hire will put the football world on notice that Gulfport has made a commitment to excellence never seen before. 

[Mack]

On 12/6/2022 at 10:34 AM, coastfootballfanman said:

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. 

Four district titles in five years and a 1-5 playoff record.  I think the fans just want a team that is capable of making a run in the playoffs, regardless of the offense.

[coastfootballfanman]

41 minutes ago, Mack said:

Four district titles in five years and a 1-5 playoff record.  I think the fans just want a team that is capable of making a run in the playoffs, regardless of the offense.

As someone connected to the community still, I can promise you they absolutely care. There was a reason Gulfport switched from the flexbone option to more traditional spread and it had a lot to do with pressure from community/boosters. 

[RUNNINGMAN67]

The top names I'm now hearing are Blake Pennock and Drew Causey. 

[BrickCity]

Just now, RUNNINGMAN67 said:

The top names I'm now hearing are Blake Pennock and Drew Causey. 

might be an unofficial interview this week due to the North/South all-star game being there and Causey being on staff 

[maroontide06]

8 minutes ago, RUNNINGMAN67 said:

The top names I'm now hearing are Blake Pennock and Drew Causey. 

@David& @Dubaction What are your thoughts on this?

[coastfootballfanman]

14 minutes ago, RUNNINGMAN67 said:

The top names I'm now hearing are Blake Pennock and Drew Causey. 

I was told they are going hard for Pennock. He never officially put in for it but was contacted by Walters. I had not heard Causey's name so that is a little bit of a surprise. I was told Stockstill, Vance, Bilderback, Dyess (not surprising) as well as Forrest Williams all have applied. Not sure how true it all is. I was also told there was numerous applicants from Alabama and Louisiana but the only name I had heard of was Eric Collier from Theodore. Was told he has his years in and was looking for a good opportunity across state lines. Not sure how true it all may be though. My source was once a very trusted source but has led me astray a few times in the past few years. LOL

[Wildcats1980]

7 minutes ago, coastfootballfanman said:

I was told they are going hard for Pennock. He never officially put in for it but was contacted by Walters. I had not heard Causey's name so that is a little bit of a surprise. I was told Stockstill, Vance, Bilderback, Dyess (not surprising) as well as Forrest Williams all have applied. Not sure how true it all is. I was also told there was numerous applicants from Alabama and Louisiana but the only name I had heard of was Eric Collier from Theodore. Was told he has his years in and was looking for a good opportunity across state lines. Not sure how true it all may be though. My source was once a very trusted source but has led me astray a few times in the past few years. LOL

They are gonna have to up the pay for most of those names.  I know Walters only makes 90k.   

[coastfootballfanman]

3 minutes ago, Wildcats1980 said:

They are gonna have to up the pay for most of those names.  I know Walters only makes 90k.   

I agree. Collier from Theodore may be the best option in that cases because he will be able to double dip and may not need to get paid a lot to take that job. I also believe the booster club chips in with pay as well on top of what the district pays. 

[Dubaction]

41 minutes ago, maroontide06 said:

@David& @Dubaction What are your thoughts on this?

Causey will have the most loaded OG team he’s had since he took the reins from Barr next year. He’s a lot smarter than that. 

[Archer]

17 minutes ago, coastfootballfanman said:

I agree. Collier from Theodore may be the best option in that cases because he will be able to double dip and may not need to get paid a lot to take that job. I also believe the booster club chips in with pay as well on top of what the district pays. 

 

Man, he would be a get for Gulfport.  Good for them if they're as serious as you claim (and I have no reason not to believe you).

[Archer]

1 minute ago, Dubaction said:

Causey will have the most loaded OG team he’s had since he took the reins from Barr next year. He’s a lot smarter than that. 

 

I don't believe in his candidacy in the slightest.

[Archer]

56 minutes ago, coastfootballfanman said:

As someone connected to the community still, I can promise you they absolutely care. There was a reason Gulfport switched from the flexbone option to more traditional spread and it had a lot to do with pressure from community/boosters. 

 

A few may care but it sure as heck doesn't translate in filling the home side of Milner.  Visiting teams often bring more fans than Gulfport.

[David]

47 minutes ago, maroontide06 said:

@David& @Dubaction What are your thoughts on this?

We’ve always known that Coach Pennock has personal connections to the Jackson area, particularly in Clinton and a couple of other schools, but I can’t imagine he’d run out the door to go over to Gulfport and have to play O.S. every year. He might have a few more athletic players, but the program in O.S. has been upgraded, and the upcoming talent is off the wall for the next few years at least. Facilities are better where he is, and the new stadium was packed all year, especially in the playoffs. They start construction soon on the new field house at the stadium with state of the art weightlifting and training. Pay is comparable. Maybe I’m a homer, but there’s only a few spots I’d leave Ocean Springs for. 

[coastfootballfanman]

15 minutes ago, Archer said:

 

Man, he would be a get for Gulfport.  Good for them if they're as serious as you claim (and I have no reason not to believe you).

I agree he would be great for them. However, I am not sure how true it is. Second hand information can be very wrong sometime. LOL. This same person who told me about Collier applying is the same person who said that Walters called up Pennock and wanted him. I usually tend to believe them because they are pretty connected and usually close to being right about their information. 

[coastfootballfanman]

15 minutes ago, Archer said:

 

A few may care but it sure as heck doesn't translate in filling the home side of Milner.  Visiting teams often bring more fans than Gulfport.

Well I was also told that right there was a factor in the decision to go in another direction from John Archie. 

[coastfootballfanman]

9 minutes ago, David said:

We’ve always known that Coach Pennock has personal connections to the Jackson area, particularly in Clinton and a couple of other schools, but I can’t imagine he’d run out the door to go over to Gulfport and have to play O.S. every year. He might have a few more athletic players, but the program in O.S. has been upgraded, and the upcoming talent is off the wall for the next few years at least. Facilities are better where he is, and the new stadium was packed all year, especially in the playoffs. They start construction soon on the new field house at the stadium with state of the art weightlifting and training. Pay is comparable. Maybe I’m a homer, but there’s only a few spots I’d leave Ocean Springs for. 

I just do not see any situation in which Pennock would leave for another coast school. He probably has the best set up for being a coach than anyone right now. Ocean Springs has pretty much given him the keys and let him do what he wants. Now, if the new AD hire is more hands on and wants to have more say in things, I could see that being something to make Pennock want to leave potentially, but why would anyone mess up what is obviously working?

[David]

3 minutes ago, coastfootballfanman said:

I just do not see any situation in which Pennock would leave for another coast school. He probably has the best set up for being a coach than anyone right now. Ocean Springs has pretty much given him the keys and let him do what he wants. Now, if the new AD hire is more hands on and wants to have more say in things, I could see that being something to make Pennock want to leave potentially, but why would anyone mess up what is obviously working?

 No potential AD will be more hands on than Mark Hubbard has been, in a good way. He basically had to remove the last coach that couldn’t see that Bray was the franchise, and he ramrodded all of the positive things in the program, including the new stadium and the soon to come million dollar field house. Nothing but praise for Hubbard, and some are wondering if they might offer Pennock double duty positions. I doubt that he’s experienced enough, and probably doesn’t have the time to do both correctly, but we know how strong coaches like to have the reigns. Again, a return to the Jackson area might be appealing, yet there are few situations where he could dominate the district, and continue to build. 

[RUNNINGMAN67]

 

 

41 minutes ago, Dubaction said:

Causey will have the most loaded OG team he’s had since he took the reins from Barr next year. He’s a lot smarter than that. 

Money talks 

Edited December 12, 2022 by RUNNINGMAN67

[Wildcats1980]

1 minute ago, RUNNINGMAN67 said:

Is he the head coach?

 

Money talks 

That is the problem.  Gulfport doesn't pay as well as some may think.

[CrimsonUnit1988]

2 minutes ago, RUNNINGMAN67 said:

 

 

Money talks 

Correct. Not saying Causey will leave but Gulfport does pay more. 

[RMcCormick66]

1 minute ago, Wildcats1980 said:

That is the problem.  Gulfport doesn't pay as well as some may think.

Guaranteed they pay more than OG

[BrickCity]

1 minute ago, RMcCormick66 said:

Guaranteed they pay more than OG

All OG needs is a few casinos and they could match Gulfport  

[RMcCormick66]

2 minutes ago, BrickCity said:

All OG needs is a few casinos and they could match Gulfport  

That'd be nice lol 

[coastfootballfanman]

17 minutes ago, David said:

 No potential AD will be more hands on than Mark Hubbard has been, in a good way. He basically had to remove the last coach that couldn’t see that Bray was the franchise, and he ramrodded all of the positive things in the program, including the new stadium and the soon to come million dollar field house. Nothing but praise for Hubbard, and some are wondering if they might offer Pennock double duty positions. I doubt that he’s experienced enough, and probably doesn’t have the time to do both correctly, but we know how strong coaches like to have the reigns. Again, a return to the Jackson area might be appealing, yet there are few situations where he could dominate the district, and continue to build. 

I guess I was meaning hands on in a not so good way. Pennock has been given some freedom with how he runs his program and Hubbard obviously supports that. I was meaning an AD who comes in and wants things done HIS way as opposed to allowing Pennock to have a lot of the freedom he does.