STARKVILLE — When Chuck Friend got the chance to return to Starkville, he took it.
Working part time with the Leake Central football team in Carthage, Starkville High School coach Ricky Woods called the former SHS coach last fall and said he had an opening and wanted Friend to fill it.
Friend took the defensive line coach with Brooks Oakley still acting as the defensive coordinator. But Oakley was hired as the new Senatobia coach this week and Woods decided to promote Friend to defensive coordinator.
“It was easy,” Woods said. “Both of us hated to see Brooks leave, but I told him if it happened I was going to move him up. I was just lucky Chuck was here and I’ve got some other good assistant coaches and lucky to have them.”
Friend will get a chance to transition into his new position as the Yellow Jackets go through spring drills, culminating with May 14’s Black and Gold game at Yellow Jacket Stadium.
Friend served as the head coach of the Jackets from 1994-2000, while winning two state championships (1994 and 1995).
“When I came here I was just a position coach and happy with that,” Friend said. “I kind of joked that I didn’t want his DC job, I wanted his grass cutting job.”
He last served as a full-time coach at Neshoba Central in 2013.
Oakley spent six seasons with the Jackets, five with coach Jamie Mitchell, and helped the Jackets win the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A state championship last season. The news of Oakley’s departure was hard for the defense to take and rising senior linebacker Willie Gay, who had 84 tackles (17 for loss), six sacks and four interceptions last season, said it was hurtful. But he’s happy for Oakley.
Gay is also happy that Friend was promoted.
“I thought they were going to bring in a whole new guy,” Gay said. “But bringing in coach Friend to replace him made everything so much better because I know him. He’s so laid back just like coach Woods is. He’s a really good coach.”
Friend has his work cut out for him with several departures on the defensive side. The Jackets lose defensive lineman Kobe Jones (Mississippi State), Lorenzo Dantzler (Southern Mississippi) and Maleke Bell (East Mississippi Community College).
He does have rising senior Nelson Jordan, who had 49 tackles (17 for loss) and seven sacks last season, and Gay.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that we’ve got to replace, but I think we’ve got some young kids that are going to work hard and step up and take their place,” Friend said.
Gay said the defense is “still on point,” and he feels confident in their ability to replace those that have left.
Woods, whose contract was renewed, said the defense will be a work in progress but said there are opportunities for players to step up this spring and solidify a starting position.
“Guys have got to step forward to be what they need to be,” Woods said. “They’ve got to come through. We’ve had a couple that have already done that but there’s about four or five more to step up. It’s there time to play. If they don’t, they won’t get to play and the young kids will pass them.”
Gay, who has 12 Division I scholarship offers, said his biggest focus this spring is run stopping. He admitted that he is more a coverage linebacker, but wants to be better at stopping the run.
The transition from Oakley to Friend may take some time, but Gay feels like it has gone smoothly early on.
“He knows what he’s talking about,” Gay said. “We listen to him. We have to help him out with some things, but he knows what he’s doing.”
Woods remembers when he was coaching at Ackerman seeking Friend’s advice and he joked that it looks like Friend will help him in his later coaching years.
Friend said he is just happy to have the opportunity to be back in Starkville and is excited about his new position.
“I’m been blessed to be able to still work,” Friend said.
n The Jackets aren’t the only ones going through spring drills.
Columbus plays host to Louisville 6:30 p.m. May 13, defending Class 5A state champions Noxubee County plays Landry Walker (Louisiana) 2 p.m. May 14 at Delta State, West Point plays host to Meridian 6 p.m. May 5, Caledonia will play Haleyville (Alabama) and Aberdeen May 14 at Vernon and New Hope plays host to Neshoba Central 6 p.m. May 13.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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