2023-24 LHSAA Coaching Carousel
As of 4/12/24
With the start of baseball and softball season and basketball season wrapping up in Hammond and Lake Charles, we still see the Coaching Carousel going strong.
Oakdale has their new head man as they have hired longtime Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand to the same position. Bertrand spent the last ten seasons at his alma mater where he compiled a 78-41 record with the Bearcats, winning four district titles and leading them to multiple quarterfinal appearances. He also previously led Elton to an 18-6 record from 2010-11 which included a district title in 2011, and had prior stops as an assistant at Kinder, Jennings, and Iowa. He replaces Destin Dieterich, who resigned from Oakdale to move into administration. Bertrand reportedly beat out Lakeview head coach Andy Boone, two current Oakdale assistants, and Marksville assistant Jonathan Landry among others for the right to lead the Warriors.
Bolton has their fourth head coach in as many seasons with the hire of Cody Corley, who comes over after most recently serving as head football coach at Brame Junior High in Alexandria. Corley replaces Clint Dean, who was not retained after one season after Bolton staff had to reapply with the change of Bolton High School becoming Bolton Academy.
Buckeye has their head man after a competitive coaching search with the hire of St. Mary’s head coach Aaron York. The Florida native and former Louisiana College football player was 41-25 in six seasons with the Tigers, leading them to two district titles and the playoffs in each season. York reportedly beat out East Beauregard assistant Isaac Clark and Pineville defensive coordinator and former LCU and Menard head coach Justin Charles.
After the firing of Cleo Cummings after going 7-15 in two seasons, Ferriday has promoted assistant coach Walter Johnson to head coach. Johnson, a Ferriday alum, was a two-time All-American linebacker at Louisiana Tech before spending three seasons in the NFL with the Houston Oilers. He was also previously Ferriday’s head coach from 2012-15.
Pine Prairie has hired Gueydan head coach Lance Myers as their new head coach, hoping to stabilize a rotating door of head coaches over the last few seasons. Myers spent the last four seasons as the head coach Gueydan and had been defensive coordinator at Church Point and Elton prior to that.
Kentwood has promoted offensive coordinator Cornelius Blunt to head coach, replacing Jonathan Foster who resigned after ten seasons and two state championships.
Natchitoches Central has hired former Northwestern State and Ruston head coach Brad Laird as the new leader of the Chiefs. Laird replaces Jess Curtis, who left after one season to take over at Southside. Laird comes back to the high school ranks after going 16-41 in six seasons at NSU. He had served as head coach at Ruston immediately prior to his tenure at NSU.
Just days after the resignation of Jeff Tannehill, Neville has promoted defensive coordinator Mike Collins to head coach. Collins has over 40 years of coaching experience, specializing on the defensive side of the ball, with collegiate stops at ULM, McNeese, LSU, Northwestern State, and Sam Houston State, most recently serving as defensive coordinator at ULM from 2016-19. His prior stops in the high school ranks were at Ouachita Parish as defensive coordinator from 1985-90, Kilgore High in Texas as linebackers coach in 2004, and most recently serving as Neville defensive coordinator since 2021. His only time as a head coach in high school or the collegiate level was as ULM’s interim head coach during the 2002 season, leading the Warhawks to a 3-6 record during that time. Tannehill was 34-10 in four seasons at Neville.
North Central is back on the coaching carousel with the departure of Julian Rideau. He was 1-9 in one season in Lebeau.
North Webster has hired North DeSoto RBs/OL coach Christopher Wilson as their new head coach. He replaces John Ware, who left to become head coach at Lakeside. Wilson previously served as head coach at Plain Dealing from 2020-21.
2024 LHSAA Football Coaching Carousel
Archbishop Hannan
Out: Corey Bordelon
In: Steve Soper, Archbishop Hannan DC/interim HC
Basile
Out: Kevin Bertrand
In:
Beau Chene
Out: Marcques Lewis
In: Richard Harris, Beau Chene assistant
Bolton
Out: Clint Dean
In: Cody Corley, Brame Junior High HC
Breaux Bridge
Out: Zach Lochard
In:
Buckeye
Out: Ben McLaughlin
In: Aaron York, St. Mary’s HC
Captain Shreve
Out: Adam Kirby
In: Jeremy Wilburn, Huntington OC
Carencro
Out: Tony Courville
In: Gavin Peters, Carencro OC
Crowley
Out: Kyron Benoit
In: Eric Cooley, Church Point Middle HC
D’Arbonne Woods
Out: Tommy Tharp
In:
Delhi Charter
Out: Jeremy Foote
In: Storm Ridgway, Delhi Charter OC
Donaldsonville
Out: Brian Richardson
In: Darnell Lee, former East Ascension HC
East Ascension
Out: Darnell Lee
In: Brock Matherne, St. Louis HC
East Iberville
Out: Justin Joseph
In:
Ferriday
Out: Cleo Cummings
In: Walter Johnson, Ferriday assistant
Gueydan
Out: Lance Myers
In:
G.W. Carver
Out: Byron Addison
In: Luis Figueroa, Albright College assistant
Hahnville
Out: Daniel Luquet
In: Greg Boyne, Destrehan OC
Highland Baptist
Out: Rick Hutson
In:
J.S. Clark
Out: Ross Akpan
In: Juan Thomas, Glen Oaks DC
Kaplan
Out: Cory Brodie
In: Tank Lotief, Abbeville DC/former Kaplan HC
Kentwood
Out: Jonathan Foster
In: Cornelius Blunt, Kentwood OC
Lafayette Christian
Out: Hunter Landry
In: Zach Lochard, Breaux Bridge HC
Lafayette Renaissance
Out: Christopher Davis
In: Hunter Landry, Lafayette Christian HC
Lakeside
Out: Mike Santelices
In: John Ware, North Webster HC
L.B. Landry
Out: Carl Spicer (2023 interim)
In: Nick Foster, former St. Augustine HC
Liberty
Out: Korey Lindsey
In:
Live Oak
Out: Hutch Gonzalez
In: Randell Legette, Live Oak OC
Livonia
Out: Josh Laborde
In: Khalil Thomas, Central RBs coach
Loyola Prep
Out: Mike Greene
In: John Sella, Loyola Prep assistant
Mamou
Out: Dwight Collins
In: LaQuintin Lamb, Eunice assistant
Morgan City
Out: Chris Stroud
In: Marc Danos, H.L. Bourgeois assistant
Morris Jeff
Out: New Program
In: Bill Conides, Northshore OC
Natchitoches Central
Out: Jess Curtis
In: Brad Laird, former Northwestern State HC
Neville
Out: Jeff Tannehill
In: Mike Collins, Neville DC
North Central
Out: Julian Rideau
In:
North Webster
Out: John Ware
In: Christopher Wilson, North DeSoto assistant
Oakdale
Out: Destin Dieterich
In: Kevin Bertrand, Basile HC
Pine Prairie
Out: Charles Hazard
In: Lance Myers, Gueydan HC
Prairieville
Out: New Program
In: Mike Schmitt, Eaglecrest (CO) HC
Rayville
Out: Reginald Nelson
In: Lent Bursey, former Rayville HC
Riverdale
Out: Kyle Walker
In: Wallace Foster, Warren Easton DL coach
Rosepine
Out: Brad Ducote (2023 interim)
In: Frank Rosegrant, Rosepine DC
Slidell
Out: Malter Scobel
In: Damon Page, Crowley (TX) assistant
Southside
Out: Josh Fontenot
In: Jess Curtis, Natchitoches Central HC
St. Augustine
Out: Nick Foster
In: Robert Valdez, Grambling State OL coach
St. Louis
Out: Brock Matherne
In: Dustin Nothnagel, Newman DC
St. Mary’s
Out: Aaron York
In:
St. Thomas Aquinas
Out: Shane Mulhern
In: Tino Fletcher, St. Thomas Aquinas DC
Vandebilt Catholic
Out: Tommy Minton
In: Brian Wallace, Nicholls State ST coordinator
Ville Platte
Out: Chris Mitchell
In: Chris Bland, Istrouma DC
Washington-Marion
Out: Jules Sullen
In: Dio Bernard, East St. John DC
West Monroe
Out: Todd Garvin
In: Kevin Davis, West Monroe interim HC
West St. Mary
Out: Dwight Fage
In: Kendall Mouton, West St. Mary assistant
Westminster Christian (LFY)
Out: Jim Stomps
In:
Woodlawn (BR)
Out: Marcus Randall
In:
