Hernando Coaching Search Update: Names, names, names

The only thing we can give you right now is names, as it is still very early in the search for Matt Smith's replacement. Don't expect any serious candidates to emerge until early January.

But the stack of resumes on Hernando AD Brent Gaustad's desk can pretty much be divided into two categories:

Leopards, and non-Leopards.

The Leopards: (those with a significant Hernando County history): current assistants Shawn Bingham, Rodney Byrd, George Goff, Allan Zifer; and former Hudson head coach and Hernando assistant Terry Voyles (Who is also a finalist for the Pasco job).

Other local candidates: former Nature Coast/Springstead assistant Keith Tincknell and former Citrus head coach Larry Bishop.

Now, the non-Leopards.

On paper, there appear to be several well-qualified candidates. One of the resumes that jumped out at me was that of Dean Fabrizio, an assistant at Edgewater which went 10-2 in Class 6A this season. He was the head coach at DeLand in 2004 and 2005.

Another one that jumped out at me was that of Scot Ruggles: Currently, he's an assistant defensive line coach at Harvard. He has also spent time at the University of Missouri-Rolla (Offensive line and tight ends coach), Central Connecticut State University (Quarterbacks Coach), the Colorado Crush of the Arena League (wide recievers and linebackers coach) and Marshall University (Graduate Assistant) among others since graduating from UMass-Lowell in 2000.

There are plenty of other candidates, as well. Again, it is very early in the process. The names I've mentioned are people who sent resumes to Hernando AD Brent Gaustad expressing interest in the position, nothing more.