Area coaching carousel turning quickly
April 24th, 2008, 2:31 pm · Post a Comment · posted by sporter
Friday, April 25
By STEVE PORTER
That merry-go-round, sometimes known as the coaching carousel, is spinning quickly throughout the River Bend lately. Perhaps that’s because it’s April and those daily showers tend to sprout new flowers (a.k.a. coaches) in the prep ranks.
Anyway, Marquette Catholic is searching for two new head coaches. Rick Reinhart departed in football to take a job at Tuscola, his hometown. Tuscola has finished first or second in the Class 1A state finals the past two seasons, so perhaps he’s eyeing a chance for an IHSA title.
Merv Cruthis also retired as girls basketball coach and Cruthis, 72, certainly put in his time coaching — more than 50 years.
It’ll be interesting to see if Marquette can fill those two positions with inside people or the Explorers need to go outside to do it. The new football coach will be the fourth one the past five years.
Jersey has a new girls basketball coach in Terri Taake, who is well acquainted with the Panthers. She takes over for Bryan Brown.
Another individual with Jerseyville ties — J.D. Lorton — has accepted the head football coach job at Granite City of the Southwestern Conference.
Lorton last worked at Riverton of the Prairie State Conference, thus he’s taking a big step up. However, Granite City finished 6-4 in football last season under Matt Martin (who returned to Edwardsville as an assistant), meaning Lorton isn’t inheriting a bare cupboard.
Lorton starred as a player at Calhoun under Ric Johns, now at Belleville West, so he will get to tangle with his former coach this fall.
Lorton’s brother, Nate, already is the new head grid coach at Sullivan, near Decatur.
More coaching changes are on the way — you can bet on it. Alton High’s also hunting for a new director of athletics since Mike Brey is being promoted to assistant principal.
It’ll be intriguing to see what avenue the Redbirds take in filling that slot. The new person will be in charge of an entire department, not just one sport.
In other words, it might be the most high profile job of them all. Stay tuned.
