BY TYLER CLIFTON
HERALD DEMOCRAT
The search continues to find the next Sherman High School athletic director/football coach.
Twenty-seven applications have been received to replace Drew Young as the school's 27th coach. Young retired June 1 to accept an athletic-director only position with Durant Public Schools.
He officially ends his tenure with Sherman on Friday and begins his duties in Durant, Okla. on July 20. The Bearcats finished 8-3 in 2008 but lost their final two games of the season to rival Denison in the 110th Battle of the Ax and to Richardson Pearce in the bi-district round of the state playoffs.
"We're committed to this process and want to bring in the person who's best for this athletic program," SISD school board President Dr. John Hendricks said at Monday night's monthly board meeting. "We will proceed to bring in who we feel is the best person for our students."
Young finished 37-29 in six years with the Bearcats, including a
10-win season in 2004 that included a state semifinals appearance along
with two other eight-win campaigns.
Two names prominently mentioned as possible replacements for Young are Callisburg athletic director/head coach Jerry Bomar (who grew up in Sherman) and current Baylor assistant and former Canton coach Gary Kinne, who recently led Clovis West (Calif.) High School out of Fresno to a 10-3 record.
Superintendent Dr. Al Hambrick said there was a target time of early next month for a decision to be made but was cautious about making no guarantees for it to take place.
Sherman is currently in the midst of 7-on-7 competition and can begin fall practices Aug. 3 after not participating in spring practice. Scrimmages are slated for Aug. 15 at Justin Northwest and Aug. 21 at home against Wichita Falls before the season opener Aug. 28 at Lake Dallas.
"We have 27 applicants we're currently screening, but the timing has been and continues to be an issue," Hambrick said. "We have many applicants who knew that going in, but many people are already committed to their current school."
Public perception has the school board being nonchalant about the situation with time being at such a premium, but Hendricks was adamant about it not being the case.
"We do want the community to know the school board will not participate in the search-committee process but will act in the end with what is brought to us," Hendricks said. "Our priority is to let the process play out, but we're not sitting in an ivory tower inside a bubble not dealing with this. We realize how important this decision is and want what is best for our students and the community."