Bossier Parish schools’ coaching staffs undergo changes

It’s not unusual for the coaching staffs at Bossier Parish high schools to undergo changes from year to year, and this year is no exception.
One of the most interesting is at Bossier, where longtime head boys basketball coach Jeremiah Williams is now an assistant football coach, too. Williams, of course, has led Bossier to two Class 4A state basketball titles in the last five years, including last season.
David Holland, Dustin Hatten and Ariel Harrell are additions to the Bossier staff. Holland is the head boys and girls cross country coach and an assistant boys basketball coach. He last coached at Ebarb.
Hatten is an assistant football and softball coach. He last coached at Rayville. Harrell is a non-faculty girls basketball assistant.
Haughton also has some new faces along with veteran coaches moving into new positions.
Norman Picou, a former highly successful head coach at Southwood, has joined the staff as an assistant boys basketball coach to Brian St. Andre. Southwood shared the District 1-5A championship with Parkway last season.
Justin Rogers is an assistant football and assistant basketball coach.
Kyle Wilkerson, formerly the head boys soccer coach, is now the head boys track and field coach. Sid Haley is the head girls coach.
Drake Smith, a former state champion 800- and 1,600-meter runner at Haughton, is in his first year as head cross country coach. Josh O’Nishea is the new head wrestling coach.
Justin Ginn, an assistant baseball coach and head cross country coach last season, takes over for Leanne Shanks Prather as head volleyball coach. Prather remains head softball coach.
And of course, former longtime assistant Jason Brotherton has replaced veteran Rodney Guin as head football coach. Guin is now as assistant coach at Calvary.
Airline has a new assistant baseball coach with head coaching experience. Al Cantwell is a former head coach at Byrd and LSUS.
Layton Tromba, a former Airline star pitcher, also joins the baseball staff as an assistant.
Cameron Colvin is an assistant football and baseball coach. Dane Peavy is another new assistant baseball coach. Chris Spruill also joins the staff as an assistant football coach.
Chris Thompson, a former Airline standout and Calvary head coach, has joined head boys basketball coach Chris White’s staff.
Three new head coaches are Aaron Finimore (bowling), Mandy Byrd (tennis) and Brian Johnston (golf). Sara Davis is serving as the head archery coach. Archery is not an LHSAA-sanctioned sport.
Brian Barrios is the new head cross country coach at Benton, replacing Lyndzee Greene McConathy. McConathy, who was also an assistant girls basketball coach, is now the head girls coach at Lakeside.
Richard Cox, who coached Airline to the 1992 Class 5A state title, has joined head girls basketball coach Mary Ward’s staff. Cox coached Ward at Airline.
Former Airline head coach Tracy Rambin has joined the Benton staff as an assistant softball coach to Michelle Owens.
As has been previously reported, David George has replaced Rick Bryant as head baseball coach at Parkway, and Gloria Williams has replaced Aaron Megee has head girls basketball coach. Bryant remains Parkway’s athletic director and Megee is now an assistant principal at Haughton Middle School.
Makayla Hill is Parkway’s new tennis coach.
Leonard McGlothan has been promoted to head baseball coach at Plain Dealing. Amanda Nichols and Martha Davis are new additions to the staff. Nichols is an assistant basketball coach at the middle school. Davis is an assistant softball coach to Jennifer Dumas.

— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com