LamarStatesports

Here's an update on who's left on the list as of Friday afternoon: two NCAA D-I university top assistant coaches from Texas one NCAA D-I university top assistant coach from Arkansas one NCAA D-II university assistant coach from North Carolina one D-I junior college associate head coach from Texas one D-I junior college assistant coach from Kansas one D-III junior college head coach from Texas

No announcement yet......the process continues. After five hours of telephone inteviews with the 10 candidates on the short list, the committee pared that list down to seven applicants. The athletic director and two members of the committee will check references for those candidates during the early part of the week. Then, 3-5 of them will be invited in for a campus tour and an in-person interview. The face-to-face interviews with the candidates will be a lot more enlightening than the telephone interviews. It's easy to answer general questions on the phone. It's a lot tougher to answer more specific questions in person. The short list contains candidates who all have strong resumes and credentials. It's a matter of finding a coach who will be the right fit for the program now and for the future of the program. The timeline still calls for an announcement of the next head coach before the end of the month. Everyone is in agreement that the sooner the better because valuable recruiting time is slipping away. But as I previously noted, this is an important decision that isn't just about 2008-09. It's about the next five years or so of Lamar State's program, which is taking a giant step in joining a Division I conference that is acknowledged to be one of the top juco conferences in the nation. So the decision won't be rushed even though time is going by. Just about all of the candidates said one of the reasons they wanted to come to Lamar State was the opportunity to compete in Region XIV. Thanks for your interest. I'll keep you posted. I should have more information by Thursday or Friday.

Getting back to the point of this thread, here's the latest on the coaching search. The committee is conducting phone interviews with 10 candidates and should complete those interviews tomorrow. That list then will be cut to 2-5 candidates, who will be invited to come for a campus tour and an in-person interview in the next couple of weeks. The athletic director hopes to announce the new coach before the end of the month. The 10 candidates all have impressive credentials. The hardest task will be deciding which one is the right fit. I'm not going to publish their names. I will give you a description of them that won't tell you who they are, but will tell you at what level they currently are coaching. The 10 candidates are: two NCAA D-I university top assistant coaches from Texas two NCAA D-I university assistant coaches from Arkansas and Idaho one NCAA D-II university assistant coach from North Carolina one NAIA D-I college head coach from Texas one D-I junior college head coach from Kansas one D-I junior college associate head coach from Texas one D-I junior college assistant coach from Kansas one D-III junior college head coach from Texas I'll let you know what comes next.

Two members of the Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team received post-season honors from the Region XIV conference. Starting shortstop Christina Jaques was named to the All-Region XIV 1st Team, while starting outfielder Ashley Lapeyrolerie earned a place on the All-Region XIV Academic Team. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said, “I’m very proud of these players. Lapey was a team leader on and off the field. Her attention to her classes set an excellent example for her teammates.†Lapeyrolerie, a sophomore academic studies major from Bridge City, had to maintain a 3.5 grade-point-average to qualify for the academic team. “Christina also was a leader and had a phenomenal year. She deserved this honor,†Edwards said. “We’re looking forward to next season when she’ll have the opportunity to break the records she set this year.†Jaques, a freshman kinesiology major from Bridge City, set team season records for runs (49), hits (68), triples (12), runs batted in (25), batting average (.489), on-base percentage (.575), slugging percentage (.835), stolen bases (33) and put-outs (153). She was ranked No. 22 in the nation in stolen bases and No. 30 in the nation in batting average at the end of the 2008 season. Jaques led Region XIV statistics in batting average (.506) and triples (8), and was third in runs scored (28), fourth in stolen bases (18 of 20) and on-base percentage (.527) and ninth in hits (40). Region XIV coaches considered her to be the best shortstop in the conference, according to conference director Roak Montgomery, who also is the athletic director at Navarro College.

The process continues. The final list of applicants (and there's probably more filtering in) numbered more than 50, including high school coaches and college and university assistants and a head coach or two. That list has been cut down to about a dozen. The committee currently is selecting a short list of candidates to invite in for an interview. I expect the final decision to made by the end of the month. Sorry I don't have more information for you. It's unfortunate that the PA News got a very abbreviated list of candidates and then published it. Most of the people on that list didn't make the cut-down from 50. I will have more to report by the middle of next week.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks softball team will hold open tryouts on Saturday, May 10, at Martin Field, 1000 Lakeshore Drive on the Lamar State campus. Graduating high school seniors and students currently enrolled at Lamar State or planning to attend the college in the fall are invited to the tryouts. Position players will work out from 9 a.m. to noon; pitchers and catchers from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Head Coach Vance Edwards said the college has athletic scholarships available for the 2008-09 season. Lamar State competes in Region XIV, a Division I conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Interested players are asked to fill out the Student-Athlete questionnaire on the Softball page of the college website (www.lamarpa.edu). Players also should bring an unofficial copy of their high school transcripts to the tryouts. For information, call Coach Edwards at 984-6293, or send e-mail to: [email protected].

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team completes their 2008 season Saturday with a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant. The series, first set March 30, was rained out and rescheduled for the end of the season. The Seahawks, currently 4-39 overall and 0-26 in Region XIV play, finished their home schedule last Saturday with 11-0 and 8-0 conference losses to Blinn College. Northeast Texas (4-23, 0-12) had several conference doubleheaders rained out this season. The Eagles play a doubleheader at Region XIV rival Navarro College on Wednesday. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said, “We’ve been playing good ball, but we just didn’t get the hits when we needed them. This matchup gives us an opportunity to notch a couple of wins and close the season on an up-note.â€

The number of applications now is up to 50 with a few applications still coming in. The selection committee will whittle that number down to about 8-12, I'm told. They then will decide which of those applicants will be invited to come in for a campus tour and an in-person interview. Although the selection process may seem slow to some people, the hiring of a new head coach is a very important decision for a program that is planning for the future. Obviously every day that goes by makes recruiting for next season more difficult. But this coaching decision is not about the 2008-2009 season. It's about the 5-10 year outlook for the program. Hiring the right coach is a must! We knew the first 15-game season against mostly Division I teams from Region XIV was going to be a learning experience. We also know the 2008-2009 season will be a very tough challenge. However, next season most likely will not be anything like the 0-15 experience the first-year Seahawks endured at the hands of much bigger and faster teams. If the majority of this year's freshmen return, the Seahawks just need a "big man," something we've never had, and a good shooting guard and we're ready to go against any Region XIV team. The team also could use some depth, something else that's never been there. When the Region XIV teams visited Port Arthur, they usually had 15-20 players suited up. There were 23 names on the basketball class roster at the beginning of September 2007. By the beginning of the season on November 1, that number was down to about 15. Some players weren't eligible for the spring semester, a couple quit and one player who was going to ineligible anyway got himself thrown off the team for a flagrant violation of team travel rules. I'm at home so I don't have a roster if front of me, but I think the team finished the season with nine players. Anyway, that's where the coaching search stands at this point. MTC.......

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will close out the home part of their 2008 schedule Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader with conference rival Blinn College. Lamar State is 4-35 overall and 0-24 in conference play after losing twice at home Thursday to Alvin Community College. Saturday will be the final home performances of four Lamar State sophomores – catcher Kristen Botello from Nederland, pitcher/first baseman Brooke Collins from Vidor, pitcher/outfielder Sadie Dykes from Van Vleck and utility player Ashley Lapeyrolerie from Bridge City – who all are completing their second year on the team. “We really appreciate the solid play and fine character of these four young ladies,†said head coach Vance Edwards. “It’s been a pleasure coaching them these past two years. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.†Botello platooned at catcher and third base in her freshman year and started nearly every game at catcher this season. Collins, who did much of the pitching last year, was a starter at first base and was the team’s No. 2 hitter this season. “Kristen really knows the game and doesn’t let many balls get by,†Edwards said. “Brooke did whatever we needed her to do She has been the most consistent hitter for the past two years.†Dykes, who came from out of the area to join the Seahawks, logged the most innings on the pitcher’s mound as a freshman and saw action as a pitcher and outfielder this year. Lapeyrolorie, who played both outfield and infield positions, is No. 3 on the team this year in hitting and fielding. “Sadie improved her hitting this year and gave us some great innings on the hill,†Edwards said. “Lapey has great speed and she used it to make good defensive and offensive plays for us.†Blinn (32-11, 17-5) is coming off a split with Alvin Communty College. The Lady Buccaneers play a conference doubleheader with Galveston College today. Lamar State closes the season on the road April 26 with a rainout rescheduled conference doubleheader at Northeast Texas College in Mt. Pleasant.

As the Lamar State College-Port Arthur softball team heads into the final two weeks of the 2008 season, head coach Vance Edwards already is preparing for next year. Edwards will net his first 2008 recruit at 2 p.m. Friday, when TAAPS all-district utility player Hannah Godina of Sour Lake, a .490 hitter from Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont, signs a letter of intent to play for the Seahawks in the coming season. The ceremony will take place at Kelly High School. “We’re excited to have Hannah join the Seahawks,†Edwards said. “She’s an outstanding player who earned all-district honors in more than one sport. She can play several positions and will help us solidify the middle of our defense, in addition to having another strong hitter in our lineup.†Godina played catcher, infield and outfield positions and earned all-district selections each of her four years with the Kelly Lady Bulldogs. Lamar State competes in Region XIV, a Division I conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Edwards will announce several more recruit signings in the coming weeks.

Those are admirable qualities, and I'm sure the selection committee will be looking for someone who has many of those traits. I'm sure that the new coach would like to make more money, however, $42K-$48K is the current pay scale. I tried to research what other juco coaches make, but didn't have much luck finding information. By the way, the athletic director DOES have a large influence over that choice. The list of applicants that appeared in today's Port Arthur News was a very abbreviated list that now has grown to more than 30 potential coaches. The current list of 36 applicants includes assistants at 4-year universities and colleges, head coaches and assistants from other junior colleges, a coach that has led teams in five sem-pro leagues including the ABA, several high school coaches, a couple of college recruiters with coaching experience and a variety of other applicants. The committee will be meeting this week to go through the applications. They will select a group of candidates who will be invited to come in for a campus tour and interview. I'll keep you posted. The large number of applicants proves that Don Bryson has achieved the initial goal set for the program in 2004 -- to establish a stable program with the potential to compete in Division I Region XIV. If this wasn't a good program, few established coaches would be interested in leading it.

Scheduling conflict continue to postpone a softball doubleheader between Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Alvin Community College. The series, first set for Sunday, April 13, was moved to Friday, April 11, at the request of the Alvin head coach. Potential bad weather forecast for Friday moved the action to Tuesday, April 15. “Now, we can’t find umpires for Tuesday,†said Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards. “The weather should hold this week, and we’ll play at 1 and 3 p.m. Thursday.†The Seahawks will play a non-conference home doubleheader Wednesday against Louisiana State University-Eunice starting at 1 p.m. Lamar State is 3-32 overall and 0-22 in conference play after losing twice at San Jacinto College on Saturday. “We were very flat beginning the first game,†Edward said. “Shauna Kelly struggled with her control early and we gave up 12 runs in the first inning. Alison Heidbredder pitched the rest of the game and held the Coyotes to just one run. But we never put any hits together and didn’t get back in the game.†Sophmore pitcher Sadie Dykes took the mound for Lamar State in the second game. “Sadie pitched an excellent game, but once again our hitting was sporadic,†Edwards said. Freshman catcher Christina Jaques continues to build her yearly statistics. She was three-for-four at the plate, with a home run. Jaques also scored twice and stole two bases. The Seahawks play their final home games of the season at 1 p.m. Saturday against Region XIV rival Blinn College. Lamar State closes the 2008 regular season on the road April 26 at Northeast Texas College in Mt. Pleasant.

Expected bad weather has caused the rescheduling of Friday’s conference doubleheader between Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Alvin Community College. The games have been moved to noon Tuesday, April 15, at Martin Field in Port Arthur. Lamar State travels to Pasadena on Saturday to play a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader with San Jacinto College (28-11-1, 14-8). The Coyotes lost twice to Texarkana College this past Saturday and swept two games from Bossier Parish Community College on Sunday. San Jacinto is scheduled for a doubleheader with Galveston College on Friday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will be at home Friday for a noon doubleheader against Region XIV rival Alvin Community College. The game originally was scheduled for Sunday, April 13. Lamar State is 3-30 overall and 0-20 in conference play after being swept in home doubleheaders this past weekend by Navarro College, 6-1 and 11-2 on Saturday, and by Lon Morris College, 9-3 and 7-5 on Sunday. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said, “We played the best games of the season, a total team effort. But we needed timely hitting and didn’t get it. So, we left lots of runners on base.†The Seahawks were competitive all weekend, Edwards said. All of the games turned on one big inning. Lamar State was tied 3-3 against Lon Morris going into the sixth inning of the first game on Sunday. The Lady Bearcats rallied for six runs for the win. The final game against Lon Morris went to extra innings after the Seahawks scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game 5-5. Lon Morris scored twice in the ninth inning to secure the win. Edwards said his team is looking forward to this weekend’s contests. “We were close in our previous games with Alvin and San Jac,†Edwards said. “If we minimize errors and get some hitting, we can win these games.†Edwards will be looking for leadership from his top three hitters – freshman catcher Christina Jaques from Bridge City, sophomore pitcher/infielder Alison Heidbredder from Houston and sophomore first baseman Brooke Collins from Vidor. “Christina is having an excellent season, as her stats show,†Edwards said. “Alison is getting better every time that she pitches. Brooke also is hitting the ball well and playing a great defense.†Jaques leads the team in hitting (.467), hits (50), runs (37), stolen bases (25), triples (10), RBIs (18) and home runs (4). Collins, who is hitting .329, has 12 RBIs. Heidbredder, a .287 hitter, has 13 RBIs. Alvin (23-24, 6-10) is coming off eight straight conference losses. The Dolphins topped the Seahawks, 6-1 and 7-3, March 12 in Alvin. Lamar State will travel to Pasadena on Saturday to play a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader with San Jacinto College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will be home on Martin Field this weekend for conference doubleheaders against Region XIV rivals Navarro College at 2 p.m. Saturday and Lon Morris College at noon Sunday. Lamar State is 3-26 overall and 0-16 in conference play after losing twice, 8-1 and 10-1, to San Jacinto College at home Wednesday. Seahawks head coach Vance Edwards praised the work of his pitchers, but said he was disappointed in his team’s offensive output. “Shauna pitched great and went two-for-three at the plate in the first game. We just didn’t put any hits together,†Edwards said. “Alison Heidbreder was solid on the mound in the second game and went three-for-three at the plate. But we made several fielding errors in the third inning, allowing them to stretch singles into doubles and triples, and score several runs, three of which were unearned. We never recovered from that big inning.†Navarro (4-15, 2-8) is 2-2 in its last four conference games, losing twice to Galveston College on Saturday and winning twice against Alvin Community College on Sunday. Lon Morris (12-12, 5-9) is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Bossier Parish Community College. Lamar State will be on the road next Saturday at San Jacinto College in Pasadena. The Seahawks close out the regular season with three home doubleheaders against Alvin Community College (April 13), Louisiana State University-Eunice (April 16) and Blinn College (April 19). The Seahawks also have a rainout makeup at Northeast Texas College in Mt. Pleasant that has not yet been scheduled.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team returns to Martin Field on Wednesday for a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader against Region XIV rival San Jacinto College. Lamar State is 3-24 overall and 0-14 in conference play after losing twice to Paris Junior College, 8-5 and 7-0, this past Saturday in Paris. Sunday’s conference doubleheader at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant was rained out and will be rescheduled. Freshman shortstop Christina Jaques from Bridge City continues to lead Lamar State in hitting (.472), runs (33), RBIs (14) and stolen bases (20). Jaques currently is ranked No. 25 in the nation in steals and has a 91.91 percent steal percentage. Sophomore first baseman Brooke Collins from Vidor is hitting .361 and has nine RBIs. Sophomore catcher Kristen Botello and freshman pitcher Alison Heidbredder both have 11 RBIs. San Jacinto (24-10, 8-6) is coming off doubleheader sweeps over Lon Morris College and Navarro College this past weekend. Lamar State will be at home this weekend for conference doubleheaders with Navarro College at 2 p.m. Saturday and Lon Morris College at noon Sunday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will be on the road this weekend for conference doubleheaders at Paris Junior College on Saturday and at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant on Sunday. Lamar State’s season record dropped to 3-22 after the Seahawks lost twice at home Wednesday to Louisiana State University-Eunice, 8-2 and 19-8. The Seahawks are 0-12 in conference play. Paris (16-17, 4-4) is coming off a doubleheader split with Texarkana College. Northeast Texas, currently 5-17 overall and 0-8 in conference play, plays a doubleheader with Texarkana today. The Eagles lost twice to Lon Morris on Wednesday. Lamar State returns to Martin Field at 1 p.m. Wednesday for a conference doubleheader against San Jacinto College.

The complete job listing now is posted on the Lamar State website (www.lamarpa.edu). Go to "Departments" and scroll down to "Human Resources," or go to: www.lamarpa.edu/cgi/hr_jobs.pl?detail=1567. The is the full job description. The information I posted March 25 is an abbreviated listing that will be in a newspaper ad running locally this Sunday and next Wednesday. DP#1FAN is right about the salary. However, this is an opportunity for someone to step up in the college ranks, or for a college or university assistant to get his first head coaching job. I hope they can find someone with good recruiting skills because many of the Region XIV schools already have dormitories and full meal programs.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will play a non-conference doubleheader at home Wednesday against Louisiana State University-Eunice. Lamar State’s record dropped to 3-20 overall and 0-12 in Region XIV play Monday, when the Seahawks lost twice, 8-0 and 11-5, to Galveston College, which was ranked No. 11 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association weekly poll. LSU-E (7-22) has won all three of their games against the Seahawks this year. The two teams will play again in Port Arthur on April 16. Wednesday’s games begin at 2 p.m. on Martin Field, 1000 Lakeshore Drive on the Lamar State campus. The Seahawks will be on the road this weekend for conference doubleheaders at Paris Junior College on Saturday and at Northeast Texas College in Mount Pleasant on Sunday.

Lamar State's recruiting operates under strict guidelines defined by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Those rules are clearly laid out on the college's "Prospective Athletic" page. Here's part of those rules: "National Junior College Athletic Association rules and regulations prohibit LSC-PA Athletic Department staff members (coaches) from sending letters or electronic mail to high school students until after September 1 of their junior year in high school. High school students are permitted to telephone college coaches and administrators prior to the completion of their junior year, but only at the high school student’s expense. High School freshman and sophomores also are permitted to contact the Lamar State Admission Advising Office for information about the college and its academic programs. WARNING: If you are currently enrolled at another college or university, or if you have been enrolled at another college or university in the last year, NJCAA rules and regulations strictly prohibits us from having any communication with you, directly or indirectly, until that institution grants permission to Lamar State College-Port Arthur to contact you. You can obtain this permission-to-contact from the compliance office of your current or previous institution." As far as high school seniors are concerned, the Lamar State Athletic Department and Coach Bryson pursued as many quality players as they could find in the past four years. In Bryson's first season, he had less that three months to recruit. Of course, you don't "sign" players unless you have scholarships to give, and the college had NO scholarships for basketball players, only for softball. I am aware of many basketball players who were assisted in securing Pell Grants and other financial aid. That's all the college could offer.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will play a conference doubleheader at home Monday against Galveston College, which was ranked No. 11 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association weekly poll. Lamar State is 0-10 in Region XIV competition this spring. The Seahawks improved their overall record to 3-18 with a doubleheader sweep over Ancilla College, 4-2 and 8-1, Saturday in Port Arthur. Ancilla, a Division II junior college team from Donaldson, IN, is visiting Texas to play Lamar State and three other Region XIV teams – Galveston College, San Jacinto College and Alvin Community College. Lamar State freshman shortstop Christina Jaques, sophomore first baseman Brooke Collins and sophomore outfielder Sadie Dykes led the Seahawks’ offense against the Chargers. Collins was fighting off the flu, but went three-for-three at the plate in the first game and scored a run, while Dykes was 2-3 with a double. Jaques went 3-4 in the second game, including an inside-the-park home run. She also scored twice and stole two bases. Dykes was 2-3 in the nightcap, including a triple. Monday’s games against Galveston begin at 1 p.m. The Seahawks will be back at Martin Field at 2 p.m. Wednesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Louisiana State University-Eunice.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will play a Saturday doubleheader against Ancilla College, a Division II junior college team from Donaldson, IN, which is visiting Texas to play Lamar State and three other Region XIV teams – Galveston College, San Jacinto College and Alvin Community College. Lamar State lost both games of a conference doubleheader Wednesday at Alvin, 6-1 and 7-3, leaving the Seahawks at 1-18 overall and 0-10 in Region XIV play. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said his team didn’t hit very well in the first game, but turned it around in the nightcap. “We had the bases loaded twice in the second game, but couldn’t get a hit when we needed one,†Edwards said. “That’s been the story of our last two weeks – good pitching, good defense, but no hits when we had opportunities to score.†Ancilla, 1-1 going into their Texas trip, lost twice to Galveston, 19-0 and 11-0, on Thursday. The Chargers play at San Jacinto College in Pasadena today. Saturday’s games begin at 1 p.m. The Seahawks will be back at Martin Field at 1 p.m. Monday for a rescheduled conference doubleheader against Galveston College, which was ranked No. 11 in the nation is the latest National Junior College Athletic Association weekly poll.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will be on the road Wednesday for a doubleheader against Region XIV rival Alvin Community College. Lamar State, currently 1-16 overall and 0-8 in Region XIV play, dropped four conference games at home this past weekend. Sophomore pitcher Shauna Kelly was injured and unable to play Saturday, when the Seahawks lost 7-1 and 14-1 to the Texarkana College Lady Bulldogs, who were the Region XIV East Zone champions last year and were picked No. 21 in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s 2008 pre-season poll. The Seahawks’ offense came alive Sunday against current East Zone leader Bossier Parish Community College (19-6-1 overall, 4-0 conference), but Lamar State still ended up on the losing end of 9-6 and 12-7 scores. Lamar State freshman shortstop Christina Jaques went 4-for-4 at the plate, with three triples, five runs and a stolen base. Sophomore utility player Ashley Lapeyrolerie had two hits in three at-bats, scored two runs and three RBIs. Sophomore catcher Kristen Botello also had two hits and scored a run. Despite the losses, Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards saw improvements in his team’s performance. “These were the best back-to-back games we’ve played all season,†Edwards said. “We matched them hit for hit and run for run, but just came up a little short at the end. The conference schedule is just starting for everyone, and I think we will be competitive this year.†Bossier Parish (19-6-1) now is 4-0 in Region XIV play. Alvin (19-17, 3-3) split a doubleheader on Saturday against Navarro College and won two games at Lon Morris College on Sunday. Lamar State will be at home this Saturday for a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader Saturday against Ancilla College, a Division II team from Donaldson, IN, which is visiting Texas to play four Region XIV teams – Lamar State, Alvin, Galveston College and San Jacinto College.

I'l have to contact my Ouija board to answer all of those four questions. But here's some perspective: Let's take Question 4 first: The job listing reads, "Masters degree in Kinesiology and college playing experience preferred." So, that's not a "must," but rather a "preferred." A coach with a master's degree can teach at the college level. In a department with a fairly small staff, that would be an asset. There is no job posting for an assistant yet. I'm not privy to the discussions, but I'm betting they want to get a head coach in place and let him be involved in selecting the assistant. Both jobs are full-time. That kind of answers Question 1, although I don't see a specific teaching requirement in the "Job Duties" section, which I did not post on this forum. It will be available when the job is posted on the college website (not yet, unfortunately). Question 2: As far as the salary range is concerned, the Ouija board says...............I can't answer that question. I have no idea. Maybe I should use my 8-Ball answering system. Question 3: On-campus housing? That's probably not going to happen in the near future. But they did locate housing this year and last year for some softball players who came from out of the area. That effort will expand in the coming years. In order for the basketball team to compete in Region XIV, we will have to bring some players in. The real questions will be answered when people start submitting applications. As I previously noted, when we were looking for an assistant coach last year, applications came from all over the USA. There will be a selection committee, which will review the applications and identify several "finalists," who will be asked to come in for an interview. I hope this helped.

I can't speak for the decision-makers, but you're right in saying they probably would like someone with more experience. On the other hand, Spears knows the area, and that would be a plus. He also has recruiting experience and that will be the difference in where the Seahawks end up at the close of the 2008-09 season. Region XIV is acknowleded as one of the toughest JuCo conferences in the nation. The rosters of Region XIV teams often look like the rosters of somebody's international team, with players from Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, etc. It won't be an easy transition from Division III to Division I. The Seahawks learned that the first year, when the program went 0-15 against Region XIV teams in about a seven-week period. Each year since then, the quality of Lamar State's players has improved. This year's team was the most talented, man-for-man, of any team Don Bryson coached. Near the end of the season, they posted a pretty convincing win over North Lake, which went on to win the Division III national championship. Depending on who comes back from this year's team, the next head coach could have some solid players already in place. But he will need a big man, which we've never had, and a good shooting guard to take Noah Cole's place in the back court. The final decision on the head coach will depend on who applies for the job. At this point, no one has applied because it isn't posted yet. The Lamar State Human Resources director has been out of the office due to a death in her family. I'll post the full job ad when the college puts it on its website.