In the final days of Spring, hope springs eternal for football programs welcoming first-year head coaches. At a mid-June 7-on-7 practice in Ozark, coaches hope they’re able to lay a winning foundation.
“My goal is to get to know everybody at a deep level,” said Ozark Head Coach Jeremy Cordell. “Same with our coaches. Getting to know our staff, build our relationships with kids, find out how they work, how they tick.”
He may be new to the Tigers, but Cordell is in his 14th year as a head coach. It’s a similar situation in Bolivar where Jamie LaSalle, the architect of multiple winning seasons at Miller and Marionville, takes over the Liberators. “We had a lot of returning coaches,” LaSalle said. “So I have a lot of great assistants. It’s been a real easy transition. They’ve been helping out a lot.”
Cordell and LaSalle join Parkview’s Cameron Bruffett, who comes over from Rogersville, as first-year coaches crediting their new school for making the transition an easy one. “Every single day since I’ve been at Parkview, it’s been a really warming community,” Bruffett said. “The kids, the staff, they’ve all been really welcoming. I can’t say enough about this group we’re coaching.”
Their definition of success in the first year is different for each of them. “Wins and losses, not really concerned about that,” Bruffett said. “We’re trying to win each day. So that’s kind of down the line right now.”
“A successful first year will be if we maximize our potential,” Cordell said. “I don’t know if that means we win eight games, nine games, you win ten games, or you win a state title. I don’t know. We’re going to take it game by game and we’re going to maximize who we are.”
“A successful first year will be when we get in the playoffs and win a district championship,” LaSalle said. “As far as we can go.”
After all, every one of these first-year coaches is currently undefeated.
