Manny Evans often had to wait his turn.
Sometimes it was by choice. Sometimes it was out of his control. But earlier this month, Evans saw an opportunity he didn't want to miss.
Evans, 52, was announced as Gulf Coast's head football coach, becoming the seventh person in program history to do so. He will succeed Todd Nichols, who led the program to a 20-19 record in four seasons, winning the program's second district championship and setting a program record for most wins in a season.
“As a human being, I'm just grateful and blessed that the administration trusted me to lead these young people,” Evans said. “At the end of the day, I'm going to give them everything I've got. I know it sounds cliché, but they're going to give them my 1,000 percent, my tone, and my energy. “We're going to go see what we can accomplish. I think it's going to be really great. It's going to be a new day and a new brand for Bayside High School football.
Gulf Coast activities coordinator Alan Scott, who was part of a national search of 22 candidates, said Evans' connections with players were a big reason for his hiring. Scott welcomed feedback and input from the team's up-and-coming senior leaders, something that didn't happen when the school was searching for a football coach following the resignation of Tom Scalise in 2020. There wasn't.
“Throughout the process, we engaged a variety of stakeholders,” Scott said, adding, “We said from the beginning of the process that we were going to ask for their support and their input. , booster clubs and coaches were involved. We also had the opportunity to speak with some of the rising seniors and leaders within the program to learn more about their experience as well as what they would like to see in the next head coach. We also discussed characteristics. It was refreshing for me as an AD to receive such opinions from student-athletes.
“I think Manny's track record speaks for itself. He's coached football as well as track and field in Southwest Florida, and he's had success wherever he's gone. Ability to connect with athletes and connect with students “The athlete was something that stood out throughout the entire process. We saw that on the track and in his departure. He produced state-level athletes. You know, being an assistant coach and being a coordinator at another school, he was able to elevate players within the positions that he coached and on the ball side. But we were excited to see what he could do across the program.”
Evans becomes the first Black head coach on the Gulf Coast and the first to be hired by Collier County Public Schools since 2016, when Rodelyn Anthony accepted the Immokalee job. Anthony coached the Indians until 2019, during a nearly five-season drought in the county without Black players.
“It really speaks to the lack of minority coaches in this area,” Scott said. “Manny is a coach through and through. That interview made that clear. No matter the color of his skin, Manny is someone who stood out for his ability to connect and his ability to speak. I'm happy for him. All the staff are happy. I'm happy to be able to support him and develop him. I know that he has missed out on several job opportunities throughout his career. I'm glad he finally has the opportunity to do it in a program that could still make a lot of noise as we move forward.”
Evans began his coaching career at Barron Collier under coach Mark Ivey and most recently joined Lehigh's staff as defensive coordinator before joining Gulf Coast in the fall. The experience he learned under Ivey and then-Lehigh coach James Chaney, now director of player development at the University of Colorado, he plans to bring to his first head coaching job.
“I said in an interview that as coaches, sometimes we talk too much and sometimes we don’t listen enough. The connection with the players is just being there and listening to them and letting them know. I think that's the case,” Evans said. they have a voice. Specifically, our program will be player-centered and they will have a voice. After all, it's their program. He just earned the prestigious title of head coach. In reality, it extends beyond the players. As a head coach, when you're in the building, in the courtyard, it spreads to other students. That's one of the key things that helps transform the culture not only in his football program, but throughout the school.
“That's one of the things that I really believe young people need, but they want.In this position, it's only natural that we should listen to their voices. , it is my duty to guide, instruct, and help guide.”
Overcoming the stigma of not winning the program's first playoff game (the Sharks are 0-10 overall) are just a few of the things Evans hopes to accomplish during his Gulf Coast tenure against Golden Gate. , Immokalee and Palmetto Ridge play in the district.
“The vision we talked about was to get rid of the cloud of lack of success in the playoffs. We know we're a program that made the playoffs, but getting our first win in the playoffs is our goal. That's what we're doing,” Evans said. We're not trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak. What we're trying to do is strengthen what was missing when we looked at the inside from the outside. I think it starts with our staff and the culture of who we are.
“Culture is often referred to as the framework of a program, but it is also what allows things to happen within a program. We eliminate what does not need to be allowed and focus on what establishes the framework.” I truly believe that we can achieve this. ”
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