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By PETE YOUNG
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 29, 2001
Fernando "Mark" Maynor is just 27, but there is little he hasn't done in basketball. One of the few omissions from his resume, however, was high school varsity head coach.
No more. Maynor is the new boys coach at Shorecrest.
The former Boca Ciega player, middle school coach at Shorecrest, assistant coach at Pinellas Park and driving force in the development of the Childs Park Eagles youth program will take over the Chargers next season.
Maynor coached Shorecrest Middle School to a 38-14 record in three seasons in the mid-90s. And during that time, he came to like Shorecrest -- his son, Jabonte, 9, is entering fourth grade at the school -- and Shorecrest came to like him.
"Mark coached here for a few years and just did a really nice job," Shorecrest athletic director Phil Hayford said. "I would see him sometimes because his son is here. And I thought maybe he's interested in coaching (the varsity)."
Hayford said Maynor, a 1992 Boca Ciega graduate, was very popular during his first stint at the school.
"We have a no-cut policy in middle school, and in his last year, there were 30 kids on the team," Hayford said. "He communicated so well with the kids. His third and fourth string might not have been as skilled, but they knew the offense and could play defense."
Maynor, who teaches fifth grade at Southside Christian Academy and has coached at University of Florida basketball camps, will coach a few familiar faces. Seniors at Shorecrest this season were seventh-graders during his last year in 1996-97.
"We'll play up-and-down, attacking, fast-break basketball," Maynor said. "We should have good size and athleticism and be competitive."
The Chargers went 10-15 last season under first-year coach Jim McDonald -- who resigned just a few weeks into the season -- and interim coach Joe Rittman.
Hayford said Rittman will return to coaching the junior varsity.