Lecanto and Citrus are both using the Internet as the first tool in what may be a lengthy process.
By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published November 19, 2003
Dick Slack roamed the sidelines as Lecanto's football coach for nine seasons. Now, he is about to leave another imprint on the program.
Not long after resigning Friday, Slack went back to work. He's looking for a successor.
As Lecanto's athletic director, Slack is overseeing the process to hire a new coach. The school has posted the opening on the School Board Web site, and Slack hopes to have it listed by other sites soon. He already has fielded calls about the position.
"I think (the response) is going to be huge," Slack said. "There are a lot of hungry young coaches out there who have put in time and are looking for a shot. It's going to be a good job for somebody. We're getting on all those (Web sites) so we can cast a wide net."
Slack and Citrus athletic director Vicki Overman said each school wants to have a coach in place when spring practice starts May 1. They seem confident there is plenty of time to pull that off. Both said they will consult with the principal (Citrus' Mike Mullen and Lecanto's Kelly Tyler), who will have the final say on who is hired.
"Certainly, football is the most visible program you have at the high school level," Overman said. "The process will be grueling but exciting."
What are they looking for?
"There are definitely a set of skills for this job that you have to have and experience is one of them," Slack said. "Career accomplishments and ideas (are others). I want an idea man in here. A lot is going to have to do with what teaching positions we have here. You have to find the right match for the slots we have."
Overman expects the Citrus position to be posted by Thursday. She anticipates heavy interest.
"It's a desirable place to be," Overman said. "It's a good athletic program. Experience plays into the equation. We want somebody that has been involved with a successful program at some point in his career.
Slack said he plans to be interviewing candidates by January. He said he didn't know how many candidates would be interviewed or how long it would take "until we see what's out there.
"We don't know how (many candidates will be interviewed or how long it will take) until we see what's out there," Slack said. "We may interview 100, we may interview five. It all depends on the quality of the applicants and how they're going to fit in."
