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Rick Rhoades was named head football coach at Cameron in mid-April, but he's still in transition.
"It's been fast and furious," admits Rhoades. "Before I got this job, I had committed to work [former Cameron coach] Todd Dodge's camp at North Texas. Then I was in Abilene, working a camp at Hardin-Simmons."
Rhoades decided to do his own moving. He's never hired anyone else to do it.
"Last Wednesday through Friday, we moved from Coppell to Cameron," said Rhoades, who Saturday in Normangee watched Cameron qualify for the state 7-on-7 tournament. "My wife thinks it's a conspiracy, so I don't have to unpack boxes."
Rhoades replaced Mike Mullins, whose Yoemen narrowly missed the playoffs in 2008 after finishing in a three-way tie for second place in District 24-3A. Mullins' innovative offense provided the Yoemen with one of the Brazos Valley's most productive attacks.
Rhoades' focus is defense, and his resume is impressive. He was defensive coordinator in New Braunfels in 1997, when the Unicorns reached the state semifinals. He moved to head coach in 2000 and led New Braunfels to the 2002 state championship. He was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Converse Judson in 2005, when the Rockets played for a 5A state crown. He takes over a Yoemen team that has been to the playoffs 18 times in the last 22 years.
The new Cameron coach brings in Billy Anderson as his defensive coordinator. Anderson coached with Rhoades at Coppell and Converse Judson. Rhoades' brother also will join a coaching staff that includes most of last year's coaches, including former Yoe head coach Randy Sapp.
Mullins left to become head coach at Harker Heights, replacing Todd McVey. McVey, who took over after Ross Rogers retired, is now assistant athletics director at Katy. Mullins is a former assistant under Rogers at A&M Consolidated.
Another head coaching change has happened in Milano, where Craig Jentsch has been promoted to replace Tim Berg. Berg departed after one season as coach of the Eagles, and Jentsch became the team's fourth head coach in as many seasons.
The local UIL teams' football coaching staffs stayed almost intact.
The Bellville Times reported that A&M Consolidated defensive coordinator Ray Kavanaugh was one of the first 17 applicants for the coveted Bellville coaching job. That job opened when 14-year head coach Huey Chancellor departed for Longview Pine Tree after going 115-49 in Bellville. Bo Robinson, a former Bremond coach who now coaches at La Vernia, also applied.
Bellville promoted assistant Doug Foster to head coach and athletics director. Foster had been the team's defensive coordinator.
"Ray Kavanaugh has been my defensive coordinator the whole time I've been here," said A&M Consolidated coach Jim Slaughter, who lost offense coordinator Jay Pugh after last season. "Kavanaugh has been around, and he is deserving of a head coaching job. [But] we've got our coordinators back, and that's a good thing."
Slaughter was pleased that there will be few changes in his coaching staff.
"Lee Askins had retired and came back and helped us," Slaughter said. "He's fully retired now, so I've lost him but was able to move some on my staff. Kevin Moye was coaching in the secondary and is going to receivers [replacing Askins]. Brian Edwards, who we hired from Dumas to coach the freshmen, is going to move up and help us with the secondary."
Bryan's Ben Haynes left for a coaching position at Cy-Fair. Bob Bellard said that the addition of two coaches is still pending, but he expects that to be resolved soon.
C.M. Pier's coaching staff at Rudder lost no one. Pier is in the process of adding coaches for the upcoming season as the Rangers add an extra class. Rudder's upper class will be juniors for the 2009 football season.
Hearne coach Ralph Lymas has four openings on his coaching staff and expects to release names of the replacements soon.
There have been changes in Hearne's District 20-2A. Rosebud-Lott coach Kyle Maxfield was named head football coach at Shallowater. Former Waco High assistant Keith Willis takes over the Marlin job held by Jerry Malone, who resigned in midseason last year.
In other area districts, Flatonia coach David Sine has departed for Class 2A Sonora and will be replaced by former Medina assistant Rodney Dowell. Thorndale's Todd Doughty moved to Meridian, and Kade Burns of Monahans has taken over as coach of Thorndale.
Former Hearne coach Craig Slaughter has left Clyde and is the new head coach at Sweetwater.
Ex-Caldwell coach Norman Cobb is retired again, likely closing out his coaching career after two seasons at Timpson.
