High school football coaching turnover is troublesome

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Some coaches have left on their own accord. Others were shown the door.

Regardless, Las Vegas-area high school football programs will have a different look next fall. And that’s not a good thing. The inconsistency will water down the quality of competition, making lopsided scores a more regular occurrence.

The good programs — Gorman, Liberty, Arbor View and Centennial, for instance — will continue to thrive. Others will continue to struggle.

In the two months since the 2014 season ended, 10 of Southern Nevada’s 36 programs have lost head coaches. I’m from the old school where coaches stayed in one place for their entire careers, becoming part of the community and taking pride in leading the football program. It’s like that Applebee’s commercial where a gray-haired coach finally retires after decades on the job and is greeted with a shrine at the restaurant documenting his greatness.

Las Vegas, known for the transiency of its residents, will never be the middle of Ohio or Texas, where being the football coach is a big deal. But losing double-digit coaches in one offseason is ridiculous.

These schools will have new coaches: Bishop Gorman, Canyon Springs, Coronado, Desert Oasis, Eldorado, Pahrump Valley, Rancho, Silverado, Shadow Ridge and Western. I’m told another high-profile job will also soon be open.

Some departures are understandable.

• At Gorman, Tony Sanchez left for UNLV — a true sign of the quality of coaches we have in Las Vegas — and will be replaced by his brother, defensive coordinator Kenny Sanchez. Six-time state champion Gorman won’t miss a beat.

• At Canyon Springs, Hunkie Cooper reportedly left after six seasons to be the wide receivers coach at San Diego State. That’s another significant achievement for Nevada football. It’s hard to imagine, though, defending Northeast League champion Canyon Springs staying at an elite level without Cooper. He was the glue that held the program together and will be sorely missed.

Others are confusing.

• At Coronado, Brad Talich was removed this week, and judging by the nonstop emails from unhappy parents, he’ll be impossible to replace. In three seasons, Talich transformed Coronado from the worst team in the Southeast League to a state semifinal participant. He’s the real deal.

• At Desert Oasis, which is located in a relatively new neighborhood in the Southwest, they’ll hire a sixth coach since opening in 2008. There’s no reason why Desert Oasis shouldn’t win games. It's an attractive job.

And some changes might not make much of a difference.

• Rancho has lost 29 straight games. Western hasn’t won since 2010. Fixing those schools, both located in struggling economic areas, will take a minor miracle. Tom Pletsch, Rancho’s successful baseball coach, will take his crack at football. Win one game and he’s the coach of the year.

• Eldorado will replace Vernon Brown, but because they are stuck in the large-school Division I, will have another uphill battle to make the playoffs. Last year, they posted a 4-5 record in beating all four of the lower-level teams they should be paired with.

Coaching is a year-round position and even the most passionate person can become overwhelmed. They are poorly compensated, making about $2,500 for the season, or a just a few cents per hour when factoring in the workload.

Some teams can’t afford to send players to summer camp, and getting new uniforms is always a battle. Coaches fight and claw for the simple basics until they can’t tolerate it anymore. Often, the bleachers are half full on game days. It’s no wonder why they are resigning.

The only way to fix the turnover is to put more value into having a quality program. High school football brings a community together and gives us a reason to be proud. If a team has success, the mood around the school instantly changes.

The only way to have success is to be dedicated to having a winning team. Hire a coach and give him unquestioned support.

Arbor View, Basic, Foothill, Las Vegas High, Liberty and Palo Verde have the most consistency in their coaching staffs. Those schools are also perennial powers. Wonder why?

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21