Editor's Note: Dade County High School principal James Fahrney (left) submitted this informational release about the school's search for a new football coach. The incumbent coach, Brad Warren, announced last week he was leaving Dade.
I would like to begin by thanking Coach Warren for his years of service to Dade County athletics. As athletic director and head football coach, he has worked tirelessly to the benefit of all our athletic programs. I have personally enjoyed working with him over the past two years as his principal and want to wish him and his wonderful family well on their new journey. They will be missed.
While we hate to lose someone that has been such a valuable employee for so long, we know that there are great candidates out there. Within hours of the news breaking last week, we had half a dozen resumes from interested candidates. That number tripled by the end of the week. Now that the position has gone up on www.teachgeorgia.org we expect even more interest. To make sure that we identify the best possible candidates and make the best recommendation possible, our hiring process will consist of two main phases.
In phase one of the process, Brent Cooper (assistant principal and new DCHS athletic director), Charity Barton (assistant principal), and I will review the applications and resumes from the dozens of candidates and arrange face to face meetings or phone interviews to discuss key points with the applicants whose skills and abilities most closely align with our goals as a school. We have very high expectations of our next coach and they too will have expectations of us. We will discuss those expectations as well as potential duties, responsibilities, support, and compensation so we are all clear moving forward. We hope to identify the top 5 or 6 candidates in preparation for panel interviews.
The second phase of the process will consist of panel interviews. The panel will consist of the school’s administration, a parent representative, a player representative, and the booster club president. We will also solicit questions from community leaders and representatives from recreational football to help us focus the interview on the things that matter most to our school and the community at large. We will develop a common set of interview questions that will be asked of all the candidates. Panel members will score the candidates’ answers and the DCHS administration will use the results to inform their recommendation to Superintendent Harris and the Dade County Board of Education. If the panel feels the quality of the candidates is inadequate, another round of interviews could be held.
In the end, we are searching for a coach with a proven track record for getting the most out of their players on and off the field. We are also looking for someone that has strong moral character and expects the same of their players. Candidates should also have a history of effective collaboration with stakeholders and be committed to working together for the benefit of all Dade County High School students.
Our goal is to be able to name a new head coach at a special called board meeting in the first week of May. However, the DCHS administration and the panel members will not compromise on quality. If more time is needed to find the best candidate, we will adjust our timeline accordingly.
If you have any questions or comments about the process, please feel free to email us at brentcooper@dadecs.org or jamesfahrney@dadecs.org.
