When Tyler Gold knowledgeable Evangelical Christian Faculty that he can be stepping down as the college's head soccer coach after final season, Sentinels basketball coach Scott Guttery had one identify in thoughts.
Pricey Graham.
His longtime pal stepped down as North Fort Myers soccer coach after 4 seasons in March 2018, citing that he wanted time to care for himself and his household.
With the administration's blessing, Guttery took Graham to lunch to give you an thought to switch Gold. Seems Guttery is aware of how you can drink and eat.
ECS on Thursday formally launched Graham, a former Mariner Excessive star who performed on the College of Florida and eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as its head coach and director of soccer operations.
Extra:Earnest Graham resigns as North Fort Myers Excessive Faculty soccer coach
Extra:ECS soccer coach Tyler Gold is leaving this system to take the highest job at Mississippi
“The management he’ll present in class is extra essential than on the sector, however off the sector,” Guttery stated. “I've by no means identified anybody to say a single dangerous phrase about him. He is a superb particular person. His purpose was all the time earlier than the NFL as a school participant to mentor younger males. I’m enthusiastic about ECS college students.
“Earnest and I’ve identified one another since we had been younger,” Guttery added. “We performed Pop Warner collectively, my solely 12 months taking part in soccer. He was capable of take it lots additional than I did.”
In 4 seasons with the Pink Knights, Graham's groups went a mixed 25-14. North went 9-1, successful the district championship, ultimately shedding 7-6 to Fort Myers within the 2017 Class 6A regional semifinals.
“First we're going to attempt to construct on what's already there,” Graham stated in a video asserting his work. “That's already a part of the college. That's already a part of management. Coach Tyler Gold did an awesome job in entrance of me. I'm making an attempt to proceed these issues, and I believe if we proceed these issues, we're going to have an awesome product on the soccer area.”
ECS went 27-36 below Gold in six seasons as head coach, together with a 6-5 mark in 2018 and a regional playoff look. Gold is a 2002 graduate of the college and spent 9 seasons as an assistant earlier than changing into head coach. He was additionally the sports activities director of the college.
“Earnest reached out to us a couple of occasions and we talked,” stated Gold, who accepted the teaching job at Northpoint Christian Faculty in Southhaven, Mississippi. “I've gotten to know him the final couple of years. He's an awesome man. I'm excited as an alum, a coach and a fan of this system.”
Graham will transfer into his workplace subsequent week and meet the footballers. As director of soccer operations, he’ll oversee the center college and highschool packages and work with the gamers within the weight room.
Guttery is the college's director of basketball operations and says that place has helped him construct an ECS program that went 21-5 this season.
“You’ll be able to run a highschool program like a school program and he can deal with soccer,” Guttery stated. “It's going to be wonderful to have a man like him on campus every single day to guide the youngsters and make the soccer crew higher.”
Though not a head coach, Graham has stayed busy teaching. He was an assistant basketball coach within the Dunbar boys program final season and coaches his son's Pop Warner crew.
“It's not all about soccer on the sector,” Graham stated. “That's the stuff earlier than that, too, proper? It's angle. It's effort. It's being humble, listening and being coachable.”
“I simply need to thank this household for embracing me, embracing my household and truly giving me the chance to exit and do what I really like. That's being round younger males, that's being a pacesetter, that's teaching soccer.”
