Coach Thompson's First Day in PTA Eventful!

[KFDM COOP]

www.panews.com

PA coach's first day eventful

Ronnie Thompson's first day on the job as Memorial High's new head football coach impressed at least one assistant coach and, Thompson says, included a turnaround for at least one player.

"It was a good first day," Thompson said Friday evening, about 24 hours after he'd been hired as the Port Arthur school district's athletic director and head coach.

"I got a chance to meet with the coaching staff and see the team. I think we've got some good talent there."

Thompson met Port Arthur's sophomore and junior football players during their fourth-period football athletic period.

"I thought it was pretty good," defensive coordinator T.K. Harrison said of Thompson's talk to the youngsters.

"He got the kids in the auditorium and talked to them. He told them some of the stuff we were going to do. He told him nobody was bigger than the team. That it was little "me" and big "team." He told them how we were going to do all this together.

"He talked for most of the period until the announcements came on. The kids asked a couple of questions. He seems to be kind of guy who will roll his sleeves up and go to work.

"I like the fact that he got hired last night and he was here today. That shows me something."

About 80 players were present. Kenny Harrison, the Titan's offensive coordinator the past four seasons, said all the players were present and accounted for.

Including quarterback Davon Lewis.

The senior-to-be stomped out of the school board meeting Thursday night when it was announced Thompson was being hired. He threatened to be a no-show from off-season drills.

Thompson said he sought the player out Friday morning.

"I got with him," the coach said. "That thing was all amicable. He understands. He's going to be fine."

Thompson, a 1962 Thomas Jefferson graduate who coached the team from 1978-81, plans to move back into his old office over the weekend.

"I need to get set up, so I can get some materials run off for the staff," he said. "My first task will be to observe, learn some names and try to slowly get into the teaching part of (his offensive and defensive schemes)."

Thompson has said he'll spend time this winter and spring evaluating the coaching staff left behind by his predecessor, Dean Colbert, before firming up his coaching staff this summer.

"I want to get on the field as soon as possible," he said. "It's hard to evaluate coaches when you're not doing anything."

T.K. Harrison said he and Kenny Harrison have had the players working hard on conditioning and football skills during fourth period since Colbert resigned early last month.

"I think we'll be ahead of the game next year more than we were," he said. "I know we've got to come in and learn a whole new system offensively and how he wants to do things, but basically the kids are doing good.

"Coach Colbert was real big into the mental part of the game during off-season, but since we had no head coach we couldn't do a lot of stuff that's challenging mentally. So we're addressing things we need in football, everything we could do just short of putting on the pads."

Thompson's athletic director responsibilities promise to keep him running.

"There's a bunch of things and there's just one of me," he says, "but I think we made a lot of progress in some spots.

"We identified some hot spots, and now we need to see how fast we can get into fixing them."

[KFDM COOP]

At least he got things smoothed out with the QB.. :thumbsup

[ESPN]

Maybe he'll talk some sense into those PTA folks.

[Guest etbu]

You guys have a soph qb on jv that i hear is moving over here. Has a little brother and his dad coaches at the middle school. i dont know his name but met him and his dad. He any good?

[KFDM COOP]

I hear he's pretty good!

[KFDM COOP]

I think folks in Port Arthur are starting to realize Thompson is the Man. Read Article.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

with the talent they have in a spread O--watch out! PAM should be a darkhorse in region 3 if not this year 4sure next year. :shock:

[KFDM COOP]

I think they got the Right Coach!