Hernando coaching search

If you're behind on your Hernando County news incoming Hernando principal Ken Pritz told everyone currently in supplemental positions they would be welcome to apply for their current jobs but that those jobs would be posted publicly and others would be considered.
So in terms of football, first-year coach Rodney Byrd is leading the Leopards through spring practice but Hernando is considering the 38 applicants that sent resumes by today's closing date.
Technically, Byrd is still the coach and he could be the coach after a committee votes on the three finalists at the end of the month.
Of the 38 applicants - 18 from Florida - here are a few that stood out...

• Port St. Joe coach John Palmer is a former Leopard who graduated in 1983. He is the son of former Leopards coach Dub Palmer and has been the athletic director and coach at Port St. Joe since 2001, where he won the Class A state title in 2005. He also held head coaching jobs at Eustis (1999-2001) and Bronson (1995-99) and was considered a favorite during the Hernando coaching search.
• Lakewood coach Otis Dixon has led the Spartans since 2005 and guided them to their first winning season in six years with a 6-4 finish, narrowly missing the playoffs. He is a Clearwater graduate and played four seasons at USF under coach Jim Leavitt.
• Former King coach Joe Severino stepped down last year after seven seasons after going 26-48. He led King to playoff victories in 2000 and 2001. He also coached at Tampa Bay Tech and Gaither and recently applied for the Sunlake opening last year.
• Celebration coach Eddie Carnley, who also is the athletic director, has 26 years of coaching experience, mostly in Mississippi.
• Hernando assistant Craig Everhart, who coached wide receivers and special teams. He listed Rodney Byrd as his top reference.
• George Goff, who served as an assistant under former Hernando coach Matt Smith also was a candidate in 2007.
• Springstead assistant Mark Lee spent one season on the Eagles staff and has spent all of his career as an assistant coach.

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Comments

Joe Severino is maybe the single biggest embarrasment to Hillsborough County Football.

How do the kids, teachers, administrators, and parents at Lakewood feel that their head coach is trying to get out? He can say what he wants in the paper, but he put his name in for this job. That means he wants out!!

[No Way]

Any coach who is already a head coach and in charge of a team at this point in time (Spring Practice) and is interested in coaching at another school has a charctar problem. Who would ever hire a guy like this? How could an administrator feel comfortable the coach is not going to leave his school? On top of that someone tell me how this must make his current players and administration feel? The guy is a loser. He not only should not be granted an interview at Hernando but he should be let go from Lakewood. W O W

Quit trying to bad mouth coach dixon, he does a good job. He took over a program that had been run into the ground & has put it in the right direction. If he wants to apply at a differnt school, that is his right. Pinellas county does not support athletics, the pay situation is in limbo & kids have the inner cuty blues. All the coaches in Pinellas should be looking.

[Dale]

Coach Everhart isn't a local Brooksville boy so he probably wont get a fair look, but do any of the other candidates have Division 1 college and NFL coaching experience?

tim L once rode a nine foot grizzly bear through an automatic car wash, instead of taking a shower.

[Shaun Kusy]

JP has already got one foot in the door