Dunedin hires new hoops coach

Jeff McCann, a former high school coach in North Carolina, has accepted the boys basketball coaching job at Dunedin.

McCann, 41, moved to Dunedin three years ago from North Carolina due to a job relocation stemming from his position as service manager for Lokey Automotive Group. He had coached for Woodland Christian Academy in Winston Salem (1989-93) and directed AAU programs from 1994-2000. 

Since McCann landed in the Bay Area, the former walk-on at Liberty mainly coached youth basketball.

"The level of basketball here is strong," McCann said. "My desire is to build the program and make basketball what baseball and football is at Dunedin."

McCann and his wife, Kim, have two kids - daughter Kayla (17) runs track for Countryside and a 10-year-old son Drew.

McCann replaces Josh Walker, who resigned after last season for personal reasons.

"I'm big on being strong defensively and pushing the ball," McCann said. "We're going to be a fast-paced team that plays hard man-to-man."

--- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Comments

[Concerned teacher]

You're telling me there is no one at the school who can coach? I don't think schools should hire off campus. This person does not know the climate of the school, the school's goals or the importance of sports at our school. He won't care about winning and losing, just about selling cars at Lokey.

May I add, what does this gentleman care about educating students, GPA's, FCAT,

You sound like a very educated teacher...and to think you are influencing the youth of our next generation...all I can say is WOW.

To 3:52 pm
What is your point, moron?

Nice hire Dunedin! This guy will be lucky to last one season two tops.
Get ready fo May 08 the new coaching search will begin.
And have fun practicing outside, and remember shop Lokey for all your favorite driving needs

[Free cars to good players]

"I'm big on being strong defensively and pushing the ball," McCann said. "We're going to be a fast-paced team that plays hard man-to-man."

And we will be giving a free car to Adam Pegg if he "choo choo chooses" Dunedin. Loucks will get a H2.

"I'm big on being strong defensively and pushing the ball," McCann said. "We're going to be a fast-paced team that plays hard man-to-man."

Coach walker had this same philosophy but practicing on concrete was bad for the shins and knees.
Get luck car man

The Administration at Dunedin and Countryside must be the greatest collection of morons in the world.
Are you kidding me with these hires, but of course who would want to coach under these two pathetic principals?

[anonymous]

Did Osceola hire a coach yet? I believe that they are the only coachless team at this point. Any word?

[JC]

How can this guy be effective if he isn't on campus? How many other coaches in any sport are effective if they aren't on campus. A coach needs to be there to keep the kids motivated, and negotiate with overzealous teachers to keep your players eligible to play

Agreed. I wish the school board would mandate that all head coaches be from the school. The coach should be there if there kids gets in trouble, or if they need to go over paperwork, or a teacher tells them they are struggling in class, etc. Hiring off campus is a not good for the kids academic.

Just curious, but what exactly can a coach do for the kid if he is failing a class? "Negotiate" with a teacher, as one person suggested? You are kidding I hope.

This is a serious question, not just one made in jest, or an attempt to patronize, I really would like to hear what an on campus coach can do for that student, academically speaking only, that an off campus coach cannot do.

The fact is, unless a coach has their players in his or her class, they really dont see their players. Study hall, progress reports, tutoring, and all assistance one might expect of a strong academic minded coach can, and must all be done AFTER school.

So the question remains, what can the on campus coach do, ACADEMICALLY, that an off campus coach cannot?

Good question. It's very simple.....ask yourself this, how do you act when your parents are next door and how would you act if you knew they were out of the country? You may not act great either way but if you know they are gone...gone........you're more likely to do even worse. Teacher/Coaches can be there for the kid all year. I'll agree that during the season there probably isn't as much of an issue with the coach being off campus because that coach sees the kid all the time. But what about when the season is over? The teacher/coach is still there seeing the kid all the time, pushing them to do well in classes, having a conference with them if they are struggling.........

You all must be longtime government employees within the good ole boy environment..hire within, promote within,.....thats whats wrong with Pinellas County School system.

No. It's about integrity. A person who works in the school has consequences to their actions. They could lose their jobs if they mess up. Car dealership employees who mess up are just out of the coaching stipend......big deal. It's time to surround our children with educators who coach. It's that simple.

That last comment just set up future comments. If Dunedin all of a sudden starts winning under this guy then they will say he is recruiting and giving players Cars to come play.

jeff mccann is my dawg. Osceola does have a coach its pat riley.

jeff mccann is my dawg. Osceola does have a coach its pat riley.

[great deal]

This just in Coach, errr car salesman McCann has just offered the first transfer player from any team with a 15 ppg average a brand new Toyota.
Now that's how its done!
And since he's not a teacher it is perfectly legal.
Watch out CHS and Largo!

To great deal
That is just ignorant talk because he will never out recruit the coach at clearwater! He offers cars and homes!!

Coit is by far the biggest recuiter......and what has that gotten him in his 30 years? 1 Finals appearnce.......that's it.

[Jack]

Coit gets grades changed and referrals vanished, and night school seats opened.

Thats why there needs to be an on campus coach. The kids know he is watching their grades, talking to teachers and giving detention.

[Steve]

Look how good an off campus coach is at PHU. Student gets in trouble, teacher goes to an administrator instead of the coach. Next thing you know, the kid's season is over, the incident is on the front page of the paper, and the kid had to change schools. Something like this happened at my school, the coach handled it. The kid was much better for it, and the rest of the team did not suffer.

The last post was great. With the coach there many things can be handled in house. My friend, a coach, tells me that usually the teachers ask for help with the coach/teacher first to straighten a kid out. The immediate consulation by the coach goes a long way.

[Basketball at SPC]

I agree. It is great to have a coach on campus so they can consult with players when they are acting up in different classes. Playing time is a better determent then referrals.

[Future falcon]

Just for the record my son who is a top player at Largo Middle was going to go to Clearwater because he was promised to get playing time but now I will ask for the car!

[Future falcon]

This is Coach McCann, I don't know who writes this stuff but I cannot promise a new car, only used cars!
Call me at 727-469-4100

[Future falcon]

Let the bidding war for Adam pegg begin.

[Basketball genius]

none of this matters because clearwater and ppark are the only two teams in this county next season with talent the majority to ppark.....and this is coming from a largo fan....sorry to say but the packers have a while before they see any finals again...unless its the NBA FINALS!!! HAHAHA

[Basketball genius]

none of this matters because clearwater and ppark are the only two teams in this county next season with talent the majority to ppark.....and this is coming from a largo fan....sorry to say but the packers have a while before they see any finals again...unless its the NBA FINALS!!! HAHAHA

[Joe]

Who would want Pegg? He quit on his team after playing with them for three years. He'll probably end up at Oldsmar Christian where they will have a new starting lineup.

Pinellas Park has been bragging for years that they are the stuff.....then what did they do this year? Get upset in the first round!?! Ha. Can you spell wannabee? I can, it's spelled:
P-I-N-N-E-L-L-A-S P-A-R-K

[ETC]

You spelled "Pinellas" wrong.

[Basketball Genius]

10:28 you can't even spell and your talking trash about a high school basketball team! grow up, i was just giving some insight and next season will probably be ppark and clearwater....what other teams are Dangerous? none even clearwater its really just loucks there two big men are soft.....park on the other hand has two dominant big men woods, and troyli led county in combined blocks and rebounds also held bibi and cantinol(calvary) to 12 total....

yes they blew it against a "Golden State Warriors" falcon team but this is the only team in the county whos stayed true same players no recruiting like COIT..........

[D-Town Hoops]

I think we should bring back former Dunedin player. Dan Williams was all County and played at UF. He has a Final Four ring and great basketball and a great understanding of the game. He can follow in his fathers footsteps. He is a true "Dunedin Treasure".

[Ed VanSant]

actually, i think this was good news. jeff helped coach my son in dunedin junior falcons football team and was excellent with the kids. stern when he had to be and praised when it was needed. he has a wonderful family and i wish him all the luck in the world.

An off-camus coach has constant contact w/ the players via practice/ workouts (in-season, off-season, etc...). Why couldn't a teacher give a call to coach explaining classroom problem? Coach could easily deal w/ problem @ practice. It's not rocket-science! Any coach w/ common sense would encourage faculty to give a call if players are acting up. Coach has lots of tools @ his disposal to nip problems in the bud. Whether a coach teaches @ the school or NOT makes VERY little difference!

You are clueless if you think it makes very little difference if the coach is on campus or not.

8:58's point about how you'd act if parents were next door vs. ourt of the country is ridiculous. The coach sees the players practically every day & spends more time w/ the kids than most of the teachers. Your point sounds good until you think it through & then it has ZERO validity. Coach sees kids daily & is not the only person monitoring students discipline. Hopefully 6-7 teachers of players various classes are doing that on a daily basis. Having good communications w/ faculty is VERY important - but you don't need to be a teacher at the school to communicate well w/ faculty & staff. Coaches who motivate & teach & inspire kids are teachers of the purest form - regardless of their day job. If you want to REACH kids - you find a way - regardless of your day job!

4:21: Are you saying a coach can't be effective in motivating, teaching & inspiring young people unless he teaches at that athletes school.
Sorry dude- but that's clueless!
Any coach with half a brain recognizes the importance of having good / open communication with faculty / staff. Why do you need to teach at the school to accomplish that???? I realize that if a coach doesn't take steps to enhance those relationships w/ faculty-he's an idiot & he will stumble. I agree, but you don't need to teach at the school to accomplish this & be an effective coach, teacher / role model. Can you say CLOSE MINDED???? It's like saying someone can't be an effective manager unless he works in the same building of his employees!! That is 100% absurd!!!

Of course a coach off campus can do a lot of good for their kids but go through the sports(excpet football which is a different breed) and see whose kids are getting scholarships...those with teacher/coaches or off-campus coaches. If you really research it and look at it you'll see a clear advantage to the teacher/coach. 1. They are more likely to be there for a longer period of time building up a network of college coaches(how many off-campus coaches have stuck with a team for a long period of time in this county?) 2. A teacher/coach(a person who isn't stuck with the job but a coach who is also a teacher) automatically has a college degree and knows what it takes to get there and they have a track record of either being successful or not successful with high school age students.

The advantage is clearly to the coach/teacher. Does that mean an off-campus coach can't be effective? Of course not. But you are crazy to think that the benefits of an on campus coach vs. and off-campus coach are clearly in the favor of the on campus coach.

Your very wrong. There are multiple benefits to being on campus all day. If a coach is a teacher at a school of course he has friends on the faculty and can get things done much easier. Grade changes, discipline problems etc..
Also he can talk to the kid Anytime during the day, he can have meetings at lunch time or break down film during lunch in his room.
THINK before you speak!
Carsalesman Mccann will be there 2 years top, bet on it.

Agreed. These off campus coaches just do not last which hurts the kids. Those coaches that stick around for at least 5 years have so much more credibility with college coaches. They've built up a bond and trust in their word.......these swinging door coaches just don't stick around.

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me the successful long term off campus coaches in Pinellas County.

Wow! 4:53 is ANGRY!! "THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK"!! Sounds like you're kinda angry about this topic. Were you applying for the Dunedin hoops job?? Ease up "ANGRY GUY"!If Derrick Brooks or Ernest Givens, or Charlie Ward, or John Lynch, or Mike Alstott or even a lesser name player retired & wanted to devote himself to passing on their knowledge & love for the game to your son at his high school. Would you not consider him as a strong candidate simply because he doesn't teach at the school? Or let's say someone played collegiately (earned an MBA), but now works in the corporate world. Is it possible that this person could be an exceptional coach, teacher, motivator? Let's face it- most of the coaches in aren't teaching because they LOVE teaching DRIVERS ED, or PE classes. They are only teaching because they want to coach. Most coaches I had in high school were simply going thru the motions of "teaching" (drawing up practice plans, X's & O's)while "teaching" P.E. or Drivers ED. Good coaches come in all sizes & shapes & walks of life. They are people who can REACH young people & inspire them to get the most out of themselves. If they are smart-they develop good relationships w/ faculty & head problems off before they become big. Teachers are NOT the only people who can develop these relationships. Unfortunately, the extreme low salaries of teachers prevents alot of potentially excellent coaches from becoming coaches. Some of those people have incredible passion & knowledge for the game that they want to pass on, but pursue careers that provided more financial stability. According to some of you-they can't be effective because they don't teach at the school. THAT'S ABSURD IN MY BOOK!!!

Those outside coaches are exceptions to the rule. Anyone would open their doors to proven winners. Nobody has still answered by question, how many off campus coaches in the county stayed with their program for more than 5 years?

Let's look at the 2 CHS schools and their baseball coaches. Countryside and Clearwater both had non-staff coaches they are both gone now, and look at all the problems they had.
Most principals hire outside of the system only if they have too. I do agree if a Givins or a top former player is willing and capable then they can do a good job, but it is rare.

Who the hell would want to coach at Dunedin? exactly.. NO ONE.

I'm still waiting for the answer...how many non-staff coaches have been at their current position for more than 5 years in any sport?

[joe]

Hey June 3 at 7:54. Answer: Coach Davis at Countryside.

Mancuso was at SPC for 10 years.
He started recruiting (cheating) near the end, but he did have some longevity. In Hillsborough & Sarasota County, there are lots of coaches who don't teach at school. Again, coaches come in all shapes & sizes & have a wide variety of educational degrees (i think you should be required to have one). Teachers or non-teachers have the ability to be effective coaches. To make a hard/fast rule preventing a non-teacher from coaching would be very unfortunate.

So we have two(both in football). Anyone else?

Hayford at Shorecrest. He's been there for more than 25 yrs.

[jc]

Back to the issue- will Car man be able to leave the sales floor when players are caught "out of bounds" during school hours? Needless to say, its obvious that being on campus alows for much more of a press defense to be used against administration and teachers. The biggest job off of the court a coach has is to be an advocate for his players. If the players aren't kept eligible then you have no chance. Believe it!

The problem with Dunedin Basketball,was not coaching. It was with the administration. Coach josh walker tryed his best to bulid a good basketball program, but when the school's ADMINISTRATION doesn't want the head basketball coach to have keys to the gym. What is the head coach to do. Please, put yourself in coach walkers place. Schools over for the day and you go to open up the gym,and it's locked. Now you have to track someone down to open up the gym for you, and your players. Oh, i almost forgot. Coach walker didn't have keys to the store room where the basketballs were. The ADMINISTRATION(MR.SUMA) SUCKS!!!!!

[Phil]

I think that all the critics need to shut their mouth about dunedin basketball. You can say whatever you want about dunedin basketball but the only one that would know what is wrong or what is or isn't going on is the players. Guess what I am a current student and player at dunedin high school. When coach walker was here we didn't have to practice outside we just had to wait for a minute to find a janitor to let us in. Yea things went sour last year record wise but we still learned and became better players. Now that we have Coach mccann we are going to be totally dangerous. But i do agree about the admininstration is definitely a big reason why we don't seem like a great team. We had so many problems last year wit getting in the gym when we wanted to. Just be on the look out for dun dun basketball

Holla

[The Park]

He's right we should give Dunedin a chance because they suck so bad it isin't even worth talking about.
Suck it Dunedin PARK RULES!!!

[Jake Smith]

I attend Dunedin High and played JV basketball on the team there. I think you people up there that are talking about how bad of a guy he is or whatever need to shut your mouths. Give the guy a chance. What has he done to you? I think you should shut up and see what happens before you make assumptions. Obviously, the guy's pretty good if he's still coaching and I look forward to playing for him. Jake Smith

[Whattadeal!]

Wow jake
did you get a good deal or does this guy have you hook line and sinker? Did you pay sticker price!?!

[22]

all i have to say is keep hatin and wen the season comes around u critics might get suprised

[car shopping]

My son wants to play for Dunedin. And, I need a new car. Should I go to Lokey?

[22?]

22? Does that mean you are twice the "deuce" that #2 is. Your game sure smells like it. BTW you should wipe better when you wear your white uniforms

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