By Tom Halliburton
The Port Arthur News
Leon Fuller is happy to tell his fellow Golden Triangle football lovers that Port Neches-Groves can rejoice over its selection of Brandon Faircloth as head football coach.
Serving in his second school year as Executive Athletic Director for Odessa’s Ector County Independent School District, Fuller has had the chance to become close with the 31-year-old Faircloth, who received PN-GISD’s board approval on Tuesday night.
Faircloth will receive a two-year contract to start next week at an annual salary of $83,500. To hear Fuller’s take on the newest Indians’ chief, Faircloth may be worth every penny.
“He is a terrific young coach,” Fuller told The News by telephone late Thursday afternoon. “He’s done wonders here for us. He’s had a different quarterback step in at Permian for each of the last three years and they have broken records year after year… He has a tremendous rapport with the young men and I think everybody in Port Neches is going to really like him.”
Fuller’s credibility to make such an evaluation encompasses having one of Southeast Texas’ great football resumes.
Leon, as his friends know, played high school football for Bum Phillips at Nederland, was an undersized terror for Bear Bryant at Alabama, coached under Wade Phillips with the Denver Broncos, served as Colorado State’s head football coach and was a long-time University of Texas defensive coordinator.
“We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well,” Fuller said of his relationship with Faircloth. “You’re getting a mighty good one from us here. I tried to tell him this morning that it will be a little different from here over there, but I think he’s ready for this kind of an opportunity.”
Fuller doubted that Faircloth’s age (only 31) would work against him at PN-G because of his extensive and vast background at Austin Westlake, Dallas Highland Park and Odessa Permian. A Brownwood native, Brandon is the son of Brownwood High School principal Bill Faircloth. He’s been right on the shirt sleeves of school and education throughout his life in Texas high schools.
The News attempted unsuccessfully to reach Faircloth on Thursday at Permian to discuss assistant coaches, but Fuller indicated Faircloth did not intend any massive house cleaning within the Indians’ veteran coaching staff.
“He (Faircloth) said that he’s planning on giving everyone (on PN-G’s staff) a chance to stay there if they want to be a part of the new staff, and if it fits well,” Fuller said. “I’ve talked with Matt Burnett, who’s done a good job there for more than 15 years, and I’m glad that Matt is going to be around there to help in any way that he can.”
PN-GISD schools superintendent Dr. Lani Randall said Faircloth figured to work closely with high school principal Marc Keith regarding personnel and coaching selection decisions.
“There are not any defined parameters on how many coaches that coach Faircloth is permitted to bring in,” Dr. Randall said. “He will be allowed to evaluate his program and make recommendations and I’m sure that some of that will take weeks.”
PN-GISD’s search committee appeared to hit a home run in its community with its selection and hiring of Faircloth who did not have the head coaching resume of Calallen’s Phil Danaher and Liberty Hill’s Jerry Vance, but was regarded as arguably a top three choice by many area football experts. Danaher and Vance both withdrew their names from consideration during the process.
When Brandon said yes to PN-G, the purple people received a welcome bonus, too. The PN-G timetable for the new coach’s start date was Mar. 3. Faircloth will start next week.
“We’re very pleased about that,” Dr. Randall said. “We have heard a lot of positive comments throughout the community about him.”
Area coaches and fans often have publicly praised the efforts of Burnett’s staff, although many of Matt’s assistants understandably feel antsy regarding their career futures right now.
Dan Welch and Carl Broussard have been successful on their respective jobs as offensive and defensive coordinator. Welch has shouldered the double duty of offensive coordinator as well as offensive line coach the past four years since Mike Long accepted the head coaching job at Beaumont Kelly.
Welch’s changes early in 2007 placed the Indians on a roll for a seven-game win streak and a share of the 20-4A championship. Broussard has served as defensive coordinator the past two years. His 2008 defense contained no returning starters but steadily improved by the end of the season.
Jay Stone has been regarded among the area’s premier high school baseball coaches for more than a decade, along with assistant Mark Brevell. Kyle Segura and Terry Cobb have served lengthy and effective tenures in PN-G’s track and field program.
To lose any of those assistants would represent significant losses to a veteran staff.
If you buy Leon Fuller’s assessment, the new Indians’ chief will work wonders real soon with most of those assistants on the New Reservation…. new in more ways than facilities.
Source: http://www.panews.com/sports/local_story_036214747.html?start:int=0
