Lakewood releases candidates
The Times obtained the names of the applicants for the Lakewood football head coach position. Forty-one applied, including 11 with ties to Pinellas County.
Among the more notable names are former Lakewood and Houston Oilers standout Ernest Givins, former Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback Dieter Brock and former St. Petersburg Catholic, Indian Rocks Christian and St. Peterburg head coach Todd St. Louis.
Lakewood athletic director Javon Turner will whittle down the candidates this week. He said he will have a list of finalists by Monday and will start the interviewing process on July 8.
(Associated Press: Houston Oilers wide receiver Ernest Givins (81) loses his shoe getting away from Indianapolis Colts defensive back Ashley Ambrose, left, in Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 4, 1994.)
Mitch Abrams, former semi-pro player with the Sharks
Brian Alewine, assistant coach, Fairhope High, Ala.
Keith Bland, former assistant, Mosley High
Rodney Boyle, assistant coach, West Potomac, Va.
Dusty Boylson, former head coach St. Petersburg, current assistant Dixie Hollins
Antez Brinson, assistant coach, Lakewood
Dieter Brock, former quarterback Los Angeles Rams
Dennis Butler, assistant coach, Miami Pace
Gene Clemons, assistant, Urbana High, Ohio
Dave Cleppe, assistant coach, Gibbs
Dennis Coyle, former assistant St. Xavier, Ohio
John Dallaire, track coach Palm Harbor University
Matt Dixon, assistant coach, Lake Gibson
Craig Everhardt, assistant coach Hernando High
Matt Fischer, assistant coach, South Lake
Jeremy Frioud, assistant coach, Largo
Anthony Givens, assistant coach, Gibbs
Ernest Givins, former Lakewood, Houston Oilers standout
Charlie Hatfield, assistant coach, Hammond High, Ind.
Ron Hawn, assistant coach, Northeastern Univ.
Chris Hug, former assistant Northside, Farragut, St. Petersburg
Lance Jenkins, former head coach Merritt Island
Andy Johnson, head coach Freedom High, Orlando
Terrance Johnson, assistant coach Warhill High, Va.
Luther Justis, head coach Forest Hill High, West Palm Beach
Joe Kikume, assistant coach, Duncanville High, Tex.
John Launis, assistant coach, Trinity Valley Community College, Tex.
Andrew McEvoy, interim head coach, York University, Ontario
Cory Moore, assistant coach Seabreeze High
Travis Miller, graduate assistant, Univ. of Kansas
Frank Nolan, former coach in Rhode Island
Ashour Peera, assistant coach, Forest High
Derrick Pollack, former coach with Lakewood Jr. Spartans
Joe Reiners, former head coach, Oelrichs High, S.D.
Marvin Sedberry, head coach Polytechnic High, Texas
William Siffin, assistant coach, Duncanville High, Tex.
Kurt Smith, assistant coach Cherokee High, Ga.
Todd St. Louis, former head coach St. Petersburg Catholic, Indian Rocks, St. Petersburg
Mike Stevens, head coach White Plains High, N.Y.
Sam Vinson, assistant coach, Dunedin
Ron Weaver, assistant coach, Monsignor Pace
Eugene Wilson, assistant coach, Lake Butler Union County
The St. Petersburg Times High School Sports blog is written and compiled by the Times preps sports staff from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. We invite your participation in the comments area.
If they don't hire someone that they can get in the building as a teacher then they are idiots. Y0u need a head coach who is constantly in the hallways and being a presence at the school. These former NFL players will not cut it i guarantee you that.
Posted by: | June 25, 2008 at 05:46 PM
The Sharks are not a semi pro team. They are an intramural team.
Posted by: | June 25, 2008 at 05:46 PM
The first person that Javon turner caleed was alen Cardin the worlds greatest coach, just ask him
Posted by: Hussein Obama | June 25, 2008 at 07:37 PM
FRIOUD WE KNOW YOU CAN DO BUT WE NEED YOU AT LARGO
GOOD LUCK THOUGH
Posted by: | June 25, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Worst name on this list-Tod St.Louis. Couldn't cut it at St Pete and Lakewood would be terrible if they had to run the Wing-T
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 09:12 AM
No re-tread coaches. Do not hire a has been retread former head coach. You want someone with energy, enthusiasm, and something to prove a chip on their shoulder. You want a young aggressive assistant.
Posted by: fballfan | June 26, 2008 at 09:46 AM
I thought PCS was in a hiring freeze???My school like many others just lost an administrator, and teachers are looking at a paycut. Why not promote within??
Posted by: freeze???? | June 26, 2008 at 11:06 AM
I think they are on a hiring freeze except for PE teachers. With the new standards, they are short on PE teachers, which works well for the coaches
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Grasso could bring a lot to the table maybe some good ox and smoke from home.
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 11:32 AM
I cannot believe this maybe a phone call to ask about pay and teaching position. But not a resume. BS from a joke AD
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Turner and Givve are close
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 12:09 PM
I am suprised at the lack of quality applicants for this job. None of these guys are stand-outs that will bring sorely needed playoff wins for Pinellas County. Looks as though it will be another controversial hire that will leave in two or three years for "family" or "personal" reasons...
Posted by: HS Coach | June 26, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Frioud has to the Number 1 choice.
He is young, full of energy, and very aggressive!
The kids at Largo will do anything the for the guy.
Lakewood should to full advantage of this situation and hire and up and coming football coach.
Posted by: T.Bell | June 26, 2008 at 01:57 PM
Frioud would put a staff together in no time. I'm sure a lot of coaches in this county would love to work with Frioud. He could also help their wrestling program.
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Frioud is he the hippie kid from largo?
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Grasso sounds good to me. Then LW could have the GRassoo Way. Smoke a little wanna. Hey gangster we need some bro.
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 04:08 PM
The guy that know one is talking about is the guy from Merritt Island. It is one of te top programs in the state all time and they play in a tough county on the east coast. Solid coaching in that area.
Posted by: Old Timer | June 26, 2008 at 07:09 PM
There is actually quite a number of qualified applicants on the list. One that stands out to me is Dennis Coyle from St. Xavier Ohio. Solid program that has tons of state championships and is regularly ranked in the USA Today top 25.
Posted by: | June 26, 2008 at 08:13 PM
ERNEST GIVENS should get this job! he is a great choice and he will win games and get people to the next level. He was one of my coaches when I played at lakewood and he was a way better coach than our excuse for a head coach(Brian Bruch).
Posted by: LHSalum | June 26, 2008 at 08:30 PM
A Vinson and Brinson football team would bring back the greatness to LW.
Posted by: QUEEN | June 26, 2008 at 08:52 PM
He might be but he's a good coach.
Posted by: LHSalum | June 26, 2008 at 09:11 PM
He did a great job of calling plays vs Largo in the playoffs. Being shut out 31-0.
Posted by: | June 27, 2008 at 12:04 AM
frioud is not liked with the officials?
would that matter?
Posted by: | June 27, 2008 at 05:07 PM
I promise you as a head coach, Frioud would get every athlete in that school out for football and they would run through a wall for him. He'll also do a very good job of monitoring his student-athletes grades. He has helped a lot of Largo players go to college by attending recruiting fairs.
Officials are going to call what they call whether they like the coach or not.
Posted by: | June 27, 2008 at 05:36 PM
Wrong! Officials show bias all the time. Ask any HS HC and they will tell you the same - that some guys get calls. With that being said though, whether a guy is liked or hated by the officials should not matter in the hiring decisions of a school.
Posted by: Juan "Still thinks Mary should resign!" McCain | June 27, 2008 at 10:20 PM
5:36 you better check your facts
Posted by: | June 27, 2008 at 11:18 PM
5:36 officials hate him because they are tired of being abused by him
get a grip and get real
he isn't all that
Posted by: | June 27, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Yes, the Largo game was a shut out...the bottom line is when your players are having a bad game & cannot produce-it doesn't matter what plays are called...you can run every play in the book, but it just wouldn't matter. It happens-what are you going to do?? You pick your team up, hold your head up & move on...it is what it is...Largo played a great game.
Posted by: QUEEN | June 28, 2008 at 09:49 AM
rioud is the best flag football coach ever
Posted by: | June 28, 2008 at 03:48 PM
How about Sam Roper, what a coach. He would come with a two year bonus payment from Seminole. Roll a turd down south movement.org.
Posted by: | June 28, 2008 at 05:08 PM
Givens can get them to playoff,with Reedy,Joc and the rest of the crew.Let them go get it.
Posted by: Playoff | June 28, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Does anyone know what Binson coaches?
the coach that's in the building already.
Posted by: | June 29, 2008 at 01:38 AM
What about Derrick Pollock?
Posted by: Play it tough | June 29, 2008 at 07:19 AM
Frioud is young, aggressive, inspiring and a WORKER.
He coaches Football, Wrestling and then Flag-football. The guy is, without a doubt, in this for the benefit of the kids.
Referees: some like him, some don't.
The kids see a man who will go to the mat for them, and in return, they give everything they have for him.
Largo doesn't want to lose him, but will be happy to have him back if Lakewood passes up this opportunity.
Posted by: Former Coach | June 29, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Coach Benson is the head JV coach @ LW
Posted by: | June 29, 2008 at 02:34 PM
I heard Derrick Pollock was a good coach and the players like him. He works at the school now, and was the JV head coach for three years before Dixon got there.
Posted by: | June 29, 2008 at 02:57 PM
With the budget cuts what teaching postiions are open? What did Otis teach?
Posted by: | June 30, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Brinson was a RB coach the previous 2 seasons, which were his first 2 years of ever coaching. I hardly think he is even worth mentioning when trying to bring in a new head coach. The guy thinks he is one of the kids, and by no means should be leading a 4A school.
What Lakewood needs to do is look outside the area for the most qualified candidate, preferably someone with head coaching experience. They most certainly need to stay away from the same retread coaches that have applied.
Posted by: | June 30, 2008 at 03:38 PM
We all know they are hiring Givins. It all about names down there. It always has and always will be.
Posted by: | July 07, 2008 at 07:55 AM