Coaching staffs nearly complete

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Assistant coach Brian Duncan puts a pair of players through agility drills during Monday afternoon’s practice session. (Rob Nunley photo)

Last week’s practices led to some shifting of some members of the Pioneer varsity and freshman coaching staffs.

Second-year assistant Brian Duncan, who had been slated to work with the Pioneer freshmen this fall, was moved back up to the varsity squad by head coach Gerald Tidwell after demonstrating what Tidwell called an “impressive” amount of enthusiasm and potential.

“I had the impression of him being very quiet and not being much of a teacher on the field,” Tidwell said. “That wasn’t a very fair evaluation, but just the impression I had.

“He came out here and was full of energy, full of fire. We discussed his lack of knowledge of what I want taught, but he’s more than willing to learn that over the summer. So he’s exactly what I wanted, and he was already on our staff.”

Duncan’s joining of the varsity staff, which already included Tidwell, John Dryden and Matt Turner, re-opened a spot among the freshman coaches which will now be filled by Wayne Wolford.

Wolford will join freshman coaches Wayne Warner and Andy Evans.

“We feel he’ll be a really good fit for that group,” Tidwell said.

The varsity squad still has one assistant coach slot remaining to be filled.