RYAN S. CLARK
Published 12:00 am, Saturday, January 31, 2009
For now Brandon Faircloth is the Odessa Permian offensive coordinator, but that’s not stopping him from thinking about Port Neches-Groves.
The 31-year-old is set to become PN-G’s new football coach/boys’ athletic director on Tuesday. He was recommended by PN-G ISD Superintendent Lani Randall and a school board vote will determine if he will be the next head coach.
“First of all, it’s extremely humbling to be associated with a program of such rich tradition as Port Neches-Groves,” Faircloth said late Friday night. “I am ready to go to work immediately and get this thing going.”
This will be Faircloth’s first head coaching job should he get the board’s approval.
If hired, Faircloth will replace former coach Matt Burnett, who coached 22 seasons at PN-G, the last 15 as head coach.
Burnett coached PN-G to a Class 4A state title game in 1999.
The PN-G ISD reassigned Burnett to outdoor athletic complex coordinator and student attendance officer Nov. 25.
Faircloth graduated from Sam Houston State in 2000 and earned his master’s degree at North Texas in 2005.
He broke into coaching at Austin Westlake where he was the freshman football coach from 2000 to 2001. In those years, Westlake played in the state championship game.
From 2002 to 2005, he was the running backs coach at Highland Park and worked alongside Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, a potential NFL Draft lottery pick.
In 2006, he was hired at Permian where he’s ran the offense for three seasons.
“I think PN-G is very similar to all those schools. They all have great communities, high expectations, great academics and a wonderful, supportive fan base,” he said.
“When you put those things together that is a great formula for success.”
Faircloth said he ran a multi-formation, multi-personnel offense at Permian and would implement the same system at PN-G.
Permian averaged 42.6 points through an undefeated, 10-game regular season and three playoff games, the last a 28-22 loss to eventual Class 5A Division I champion Allen.
Last season, PN-G averaged 18.4 points in nine games. The Indians won their first three games but lost the last six.
“We will take what the defense gives us and we will take advantage of our intelligent players,” he said. “We want to put our kids in great situations where we can be successful.”
Faircloth said he stressed his views on football and education during his interview.
He said the hardest part about the interview was getting “my heart across” to the interview committee.
“You want them to see your heart and how it’s related to those kids, the program and the community,” he said.
“I think the experiences I have been through at Westlake, Highland Park and Odessa has prepared me for this.”
Source: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/hs/article/Faircloth-extremely-humbled-to-be-next-Port-700105.php
