I agree no search committee. Somebody take ownership and make a 1-3-5 year plan with consultation from those that have earned respect in and out of the building.
I am hearing some in the coaching community think this is a toxic gig, don't listen to that noise. Don't ever discount a someone involved in sports wanting to possibly be part of a place that has won titles, especially if they do not have one to their name yet. Still think they should look long and hard at some sort of GM/care taker like fbrox mentioned. This is not the good old days were an ensconced mentor like Bossu sticks around for decades and sees this more as a calling as those days are gone. So either young guys will cycle through looking to move on, ala Joe Schaeffer, or public school guys that are fully vested in a pension can come in title chasing. Either one is not the best long term solution but I think that is a realistic best case scenario at this time. (And when Walsh gets bounced in the playoffs Nick Alexander will not be coming to Benny) Some requirements that need to be considered:
- If a student expresses interested in playing football at the school this person must be able to get them to enroll in the school as 9th graders. It's mostly about the Jimmys and the Joes and not the Xs and the Os. This isn't a public school or one of the current big names in the area either where a set group of kids are showing up every year.
- Absolutely no cult of personalities. This is not a blank slate so no way should there be a guy that says this is his program, nope it is Benedictine.
- Ability to work with a diverse team and the parents from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds is a must.
- Attention to detail is also needed, probably Coach Goode's biggest down fall.
- Don't pander to the strong willed but influential alumni base but on the flip side you cannot ignore this constituency, must be a balancing act.
I mentioned Nick Alexander above for a reason. After a decade + in the wilderness Walsh was able to turn things around quickly with a guy that was the best fit for them, especially after coming out of a disastrous run with a good guy that was an alumni at the helm they hit a HR hire. Kind of a similar situation at Benny.