Greenville looking for assistant football, head boys basketball coaches
Published 12:00 am Friday, June 3, 2005
Like most of the coaches around the state, Alvin Briggs has been spending the last couple days in Mobile as the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game's kick off draws near.
While Briggs is in Mobile to cheer on his leading tackler Kelcius Savage during the game, Briggs also has been shopping around to try to fill to vacancies on his football staff.
"I just need to weed through the applicants and see what we can find," Briggs said. "We need to find the right fit for us."
Ronnie Faulk decided to hang up his coach's whistle after more than 25 years in the school system. Faulk coached outside linebackers/tight ends as well as tennis. Faulk announced his retirement at the beginning of the season, so Briggs coached tennis this spring.
Briggs is also looking replace defensive coordinator Tony Stonicher after he turned in his resignation last week. Stonicher was hired to become the defensive coordinator and assistant head football coach at Robert E. Lee in Montgomery last Thursday.
Stonicher rejoins former Greenville football coach Gene Allen, who was named Lee's new football coach in March. Allen comes to Montgomery after a stint at Talladega.
While in Greenville, Allen and Stonicher coached the Tigers to state championships in 1987 and 1994.
Briggs didn't say what positions would need to be filled, however, Stonicher said he believed that linebackers coach Matt Coghlin would take his place as defensive coordinator.
Briggs also said there is no timeframe as far as finding coaches to fill the two vacancies on his football staff.
"School starts in August, so I've got until then to make a decision," he said. "It's going to be hard to replace more than 50 years of experience."
Briggs said the response by applicants have been varied from experienced to college graduates.
"People know the positions are open," he said. "We just need to see what we can find."
Briggs also is on the lookout for a new boys basketball coach.
Randy Fullington, who coached the Tigers for three seasons, told his players two weeks ago that he will not return as their coach. Now it is up to the Butler County Board of Education to keep Fullington on as a science instructor since he is non-tenured. Fullington could learn of his teaching fate on June 16 at the next board meeting.
"We are going to be a little more limited on who we can find because (Fullington) is staying on as a teacher," Briggs said. "We will go through and find the best applicant possible."