The Search is On: Smith spent 2 seasons at PHS

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The Search is On: Smith spent 2 seasons at PHS

Sports

Friday, 15 January 2010 12:41

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
Poinciana’s seemingly never-ending search for a head football coach resumed after Gene Smith stepped down last month.
Smith, a New York native, led the Eagles to a 2-8 record last season and was 3-17 in two seasons after coming to the school in the summer of 2008. Smith coached at Savannah, Ga., and Staten Island prior to coming to Poinciana. In Richmond, Va., he led Benedictine High to the independent class championship in 2000 and 2001.
“I’m looking around at other places to see what’s available,” Smith said. “I’d like to stay in the area.”
Poinciana High Athletic Director Mal Harpell said Principal Belynda Pinkston has opened all of the assistant football coaching positions, as well.
“She’s chosen to go in a new direction. She wants the new coach to have the freedom to bring in his own staff, if that’s what he wants to do,” Harpell said.
Smith, who was the fourth head football coach at Poinciana in four years when he was hired, and the sixth over the past decade, said the Eagles program now has a good foundation.
“It’s in much better shape now than it was when I came here, I can tell you that,” he said. “The budget is in a lot better shape.”
Harpell agreed.
“I told Gene that I appreciated what he did while he was here, for his commitment to the program,” Harpell said. “It wasn’t like he intended to come in here for one year and then get out. He put a lot of work into it; he wanted to make things better.”
Harpell said several promising applications have arrived.
“We’re looking for someone with experience, guys who have gone into programs that are down and turned them around,” Harpell said.
Poinciana is 7-83 since 2001, with winless seasons in 2002, 2003 and 2006. The program lost a Central Florida record 34 games in a row from 2001 to 2004.
The two victories in 2009 marked the first time since 2000, when the team was 6-5 and reached the regional playoffs as a wild-card entry, that it had multiple wins in a season.
“It’s a challenging situation,” Harpell, who’s accepting applications through the end of the month, said.