Memorial Coaching Finalists!

[KFDM COOP]

www.panews.com

Diboll's Vanover Among Finalist at PA Memorial

PA names AD-football coach finalists

By Dave Rogers - The News staff writer

Posted: 02/06/06 - 11:11:55 pm CST

One former Port Arthur head coach and one former Beaumont head coach are among five finalists for the job of Port Arthur athletic director and Memorial High head football coach.

Former Thomas Jefferson coach Ronnie Thompson and former Beaumont Central coach Marvin Sedberry top the list of five who will be called in for interviews Tuesday, Jimmy Wyble, PAISD personnel director, announced Sunday evening.

Other finalists for the job left vacant by the January resignation of Dean Colbert include the district's interim AD, Shane Sinegal; Diboll head coach and athletic director Finis Vanover; and Douglas Wood, the defensive coordinator at Pflugerville Connally.

Wyble said he and Raymond Polk, the interim principal at Memorial High, met Friday and reviewed resumes and letters of interest from a total of 19 applicants.

The meeting, ordered by temporary superintendent Larry Redmond on his first day on the job, resulted in the two men narrowing the list to five finalists.

Wyble says he will be joined by Polk and Redmond in conducting the interviews Tuesday.

He said he had not been given a timetable for naming a new AD-head coach.

"I don't have that information," Wyble said.

The school board will have the ultimate vote on the man who will inherit the task of heading Port Arthur's athletic department. The next regular board meeting isn't scheduled until Feb. 23, but an emergency meeting could be called sooner if desired.

Thompson has been head coach at Vidor, Thomas Jefferson and South Garland high schools and an assistant with the San Antonio Toros of the World Football League and at the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

But he's best known as TJ's head coach from 1978 to 81, leading the Yellow Jackets to the 1980 state championship game.

Sedberry has been head coach at Wilmer-Hutchins, Beaumont Central, Greenville and Bryan. His Bryan teams have posted records of 6-5 and 4-6 the past two seasons.

At Central from 1988 to 1991, he led the Jaguars to a 30-13 record and three playoff appearances.

Vanover is well-known in Southeast Texas. He was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach in two stints at Beaumont French in the 1970s and 1980s and was head coach at Hardin-Jefferson from 1983 to 1985.

He has been head coach and athletic director at Class 3A Diboll since 1993.

Since 1977, Wood has coached as an assistant at Arlington Sam Houston, Euless Trinity, Austin McCallum and Pflugerville Connally, serving as both offensive and defensive coordinator. In the early 1980s he spent six years as a head middle school coach in Arlington.

Sinegal, who has been Port Arthur's head ninth-grade coach the past four football seasons, has never been a varsity head coach. He didn't begin coaching until 1990, after stints as a carpenter and a department store security guard.

Other applicants for the job included Edison Middle School head coach Arnold Revuelta, a former offensive coordinator at Lincoln; Triny Rivera, the former Memorial High baseball coach; and Ron Stump, offensive coordinator at Houston Westbury and the oldest brother of West Brook High head coach Craig Stump.

Also Marshall Lawson, head coach at Fort Worth Dunbar; Danny Ramsey, line coach at Cypress Creek; Larry Wise, assistant principal at DeSoto; Nathaniel Session, offensive coordinator at Fort Bend Kempner; and Bradley Beau Thompson, offensive coordinator at Deweyville.

Additionally, Daryl Hobbs, a former pro player from Humble; Terence Williams, assistant head coach at Channelview; Tonny Wallis, assistant coach at Ennis; Lonnie Cook of Temple Holy Trinity Catholic; Rippy Morales of Minneapolis; and Kevin Bradley of Methuen, Mass.

Wyble said it's still possible that someone who hasn't yet declared interest in the job could wind up being considered.

"It depends on when they have the board meeting to announce the new head coach-athletic director," he said. "The bottom line is until it's filled, it's open. That's how it's listed on the job posting."

[jdawg03]

that Vanover guy is as big time idiot........

would be a HUGE mistake for PAM

[KFDM COOP]

Marvin Sedberry would be my choice..

[SFA85]

Mine to @Sedberry

[KFDM COOP]

When's the hiring??

[pngfan93]

Just mu .02, but there is no way that Memorial should pass up Ronnie Thompson.

[SFA85]

Keep your 2 cent and if Burnett retires or gets fired, y'all can have him. Last time he coached was 8 years ago......

[pngfan93]

You really have anger issues. I have the numbers to a few shrinks looking to get noticed for taking on the impossible. PM me.

Oh, by the way:

GO INDIANS

GO BULLDOGS

GO BRUINS

[SFA85]

Hey man, unlike most in MC, I don't need a shrink or antidepressants. If you feel that strongly about Thompson, recommend him to your AD or school board.

Why anyone from MC would offer an opinion on who should coach PAM is beyond me. It's like y'all care or something

[pngfan93]

That's typical PA logic that has that whole town/school district in the predicament it is in.

Honestly, I was surprised that Thompson even applied to work there.

[SFA85]

Ah no, if I were on the board, a construction of the new school would have begun by now. Again, being a PA alum and with relatives still there, I have a dog in this hunt. If PN-G were going through all of this or just simply consdering building a new school, y'all wouldn't hear jack from me or anyone from PA.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I would go with Sedberry or Vanover.

[bigred75]

Well SFA thats why its called NEWS.......... We might not really care who gets the job at PA, but bcause we have the freedom of this great website we can post our opinions. Unless ya'll get someone who will right the ship from the top down, PAM will always be on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. The politics there in PA or pretty bad, with the kids paying the cost..

[SFA85]

The freedom to keep stuff stirred up is more like it

[bigred75]

call it what you may..............

[pngfan93]

To clarify my statement, people like you who don't like ideas coming into the district create a severe form of tunnel vision. This tunnel vision creates stagnation.

If you don't want my comments, then don't read them. I have volunteered on PN-G's bonds, and we accepted opinions from several outside sources.

[piratefan]

SFA why would you get on a forum and then get on to people who are just making there comments about who they think should get a coaching job?

They wasn't disrespecting your school ,they were simply making a comment about who they thought would be a good coach at PA.

[swampdude]

I agree with Jdawg about Vanover. I understand he and his staff were responsible for messing over Moye from Jasper. He is very fortunate that the UIL didn't come down on him for tampering with other school's athletes. Regardless, he aided in cheating a great athlete from being eligible his Jr. year. :x

[jdawg03]

you are correct swampdude.....i dont know if you heard the radio interview he did or not about that situation, but the guy came across as a very classless individual...

the fact that he is a finalist for the job tells me more than anything very few people want this job....the guy hasnt done anything worth a flip at Diboll

[KFDM COOP]

Don't think Sedberry's going to get it!!

[dabomb]

I'm surprised Sedberry would want it!!!!

[KFDM COOP]

Money i think? Some other issues as well!