I see your point but look at the talent level. Our recent successful teams did not have that type of talent. Those first four state champs HAD SILLY TALENT AND DEPTH.
Gretna Coach Resigns
- Thread starter Hampton Roads 6
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Well written post, and excellent point! Especially in May, I think you are going to find very limited options in terms of proven head coaches looking to bounce especially with out of county hires. Will be interesting to see who applies, gets interviewed, and ultimately gets hired.
Yep. He is a very nice gentleman. Helped Saunders and Simpson at Gretna.
Clark once told me when talking about success in general and Gretnas in particular that one could lose it so quickly and easily. Very true. He was speaking about success in high school sports.
One more thing I would like to say and then I will wait until a new hire is made. Cole Simpson resigned as the head football coach at Gretna. Was he perfect? Of course not. Did he run the offense or defense that everyone wanted? Of course not. What he did do was run the systems that he liked and that he thought would be the best for the type of kids we had. Mistakes were surely made and as in all things no one is perfect.
One sure thing about Cole is he PUT IN THE TIME FOR THE PROGRAM! Friday night fans would not know that but if he were paid by the hour Gretna could not have afforded him. Weight lifting, conditioning, seven on seven, scouting, film work and it goes on and on. Coaches know what I am talking about. It is a 12 month job. He did it well.
Wooh, Virginia people complain about the pay cut coming to Pittsylvania county. Imagine someone used to making big figures in Georgia
That's Pittsylvania County. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Tough to get good outside candidates, especially late, if you can only offer a football job. Last I looked there was a SPED listing at GHS and a generic teacher position at GMS. But those two jobs may be filled by the time football interviews are done. I'm guessing it ends up being someone on staff or in the community already.
Available teaching positions always play a factor in the applicants and who is hired. Looking at the PCS webpage, the only openings for Gretna is a SPED position at the HS and a teaching position at the MS.
It is unbelievable how bad Gretna's facilities are. Back when we were winning state championships, we should have upgraded the facilities. It's easier to upgrade when you're winning state championships and filling the bleachers, than it is " running ball up the middle and losing". I know many Gretna fans who have stopped attending games.
The school was built in 1965 I believe, and has seen very little improvement since. Overall, Pittsylvania County has some of the worst athletic facilities in the VHSL.
Biggest problem is, if you replace a restroom sink at Gretna, you have to give Tunstall, Chatham and Dan River a new sink also.
As for a teaching position, the Central Office can move personnel around,(transfer to another school in county) to create an opening to hire a football coach. It can be done very easily.
The school was built in 1965 I believe, and has seen very little improvement since. Overall, Pittsylvania County has some of the worst athletic facilities in the VHSL.
Biggest problem is, if you replace a restroom sink at Gretna, you have to give Tunstall, Chatham and Dan River a new sink also.
As for a teaching position, the Central Office can move personnel around,(transfer to another school in county) to create an opening to hire a football coach. It can be done very easily.
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It can be done...yes, but let's examine the recent football coaches in Pittsylvania County...Turner is in the building at CHS I believe, Tunstall is not, Dan River is not. Let's go back one coach each. Tunstall's Potts was in the building already, Edmunds wasn't and Matt Allen taught at the middle school I believe. So while it can, certainly, be done. I don't believe it has necessarily been a priority of Pittsylvania County in the last decade or so.
Unless that person wants to move that's a fast way to drive teachers out of the county. Who would be glad they got uprooted to make room for a coach.
Finding coaches that fit open positions is tough for sure.
Central Office most definitely has the ability to move people, but a position has to be open at a different school as well. When I looked, there were not a lot of openings within the county that were actual teaching positions or positions that are in a field that coaches typically are in ( PE, History). A move like that usually tends to alienate the employee who is moved. I also wonder if contracts have been issued yet, because they usually define the position and location.
Pittsylvania County's facilities are quite poor. Thinking back the past 20 years there have been minimal updates. Weight room at Gretna 15 years ago? Weight room at Chatham a few years back and the moving of the softball field and track a few more back. I think Dan River has a newer weight room as well. The nicest field by far used to be Tunstall and that has gone done hill quickly over the last few years as well.
Hate to change the conversation, but anyone think it weird that Gretna is hitting the road to play Jefferson Forest and EC Glass this season?
I'd say it's stranger that each of those schools would want to play down. Both games benefit Gretna not Glass or Forest.
I agree. I don't think it makes a difference powerpoint wise, but Glass and Forest are down, and probably want to play down right now to build confidence.
Check again. Sped, science, tech, marketing just at high school. Marketing MAY have been filled. You also have openings at middle and elementary.
Middle and elementary schools like to fill jobs immediately. I have no idea if those jobs are still open. I did see the tech position but those licenses are incredibly rare, especially among football coaches. It's interesting that the position is listed as CTE and is an 11 month contract. Football is also an 11 month contract.
I'm surprised that science job is still open. Been listed since March. I wonder if they're looking for something specific like biology. Middle school just has generic teacher and elementary school has SPED. I'm guessing that ES SPED position has been filled.
Most outside candidates want to teach PE or weightlifting. What do the Gretna High School PE teachers coach?
Historically, Pittsylvania County hasn't moved people. The last two new hires from outside candidates were both at Chatham. Jack Turner was teaching special education (gray area about when he was hired as a teacher and coach) and Matt Allen (hired as a coach but he ended up adding middle school math to his license).
I'm surprised Gretna's facilities and field never improved much with all of their success. I wonder if DR will have improved facilities in the next 10 years or so, after Tremaine and Terrell get their second contracts.
Edmunds worked as a cafeteria monitor and I believe “In School Suspension” at Dan River.
I didn't bother going past any listings beyond April because anything listed prior to then has either been filled, very few candidates or was a wish list by the principal in hopes of it being in the budget.
So if you look back to the postings dating back to August of 2020 there are 4 HS positions, 1 MS, and 1 ES school spot that are not either admin, aides, or food service and since April you only have the 1 HS and 1 MS position.
so if we are to go with the theory of PCS where it will be an inside hire. Then we have to also assume that that coach will have his head coaching debut against Class 4 Jefferson Forest and then follow that up with Class 4 EC Glass...in probably the most football crazy community in the Pittsylvania area. Also, get ready for another date with Class 2 5 time (in the last 6 years) state champion Appomattox. Doesn't necessarily sound like an advantageous start to your head coaching career.
I'm not sure Gretna is now "the most football crazy community in the Pittsylvania area". At one time it was, but that designation disappeared over the past 5-7 years. I recall when one had to get to stadium at 5 p.m. to get a good seat. For the past few years , one could arrive at kickoff, and get a seat on 50 yard line.
It has to be Gretna, even though they don't have the fans they had a few years ago. Gretna has more dedicated fans than any of Dan River, Chatham, or Tunstall. Another poster mentioned how it's hard to please their fans since they expect state titles. I don't think Dan River coaches have felt the same heat even though they've had more talent over the past ten years but have had limited postseason success.
Schedule will be tough for whoever the new Gretna coach is, especially if it's a first year coach. Lots to figure out with a new staff with tough games to start the season.
Not sure at this point. Regular Dogwood schedule. Appo, Nelson, William Campbell, Altavista , Chatham, Dan River. Have I left out anyone? The order is also not correct. Oh one more Tunstall because it is a county school and must be played. Word is JF and Glass or Brookville but not sure. Gretna stable is lacking horses for this.
Glass and JF are the confirmations. One more out of district game besides Tunstall that no one knows. Not a Seminole team since their schedules came out so who knows.
No coach gets into coaching for the money, that's for sure. My wife and I are cross country coaches, which is in no way as time consuming as football with film review and game planning, and if you add up the hours we put in each season/off-season with the kids, our hourly rate would be well below minimum wage. And then coaches often spend their money on the needs to the program and the kids. You don't get rich coaching at the high school level for sure!
I think coaches are no different than anyone else. Money matters especially a sport that requires the amount of work and time that football does. It is like teaching. If you want to attract the best you offer an attractive package. Salary, insurance, retirement. I agree that coaches have more than one reason for doing it but don't think for a moment that one doesn't look at the compensation for his or her time. Will you get rich teaching and coaching? No. But these people have families and we all want to be successful financially. I'm not disagreeing with your first sentence but to attract quality in anything you need to offer more than the next guy.
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