By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

The St. Cloud High football job may not be open  long.

Bulldog Athletic Director Chad Ansbaugh said Tuesday that interviews have begun, and he hopes to select a new coach by next week.

“We’ve been fortunate. We have several real strong candidates who, due to some interesting circumstances, are available,” he said. “I’m confident that we’re going to get a great coach who is going to take our program forward in the direction we want it to go.”

The Bulldogs coach for four seasons, Mark Jackson, was forced by Principal Pamela Tapley to resign last week.

Ansbaugh said that because the new coach will have little time to  prepare for the upcoming season (fall practice begins in about seven weeks), he must be willing to adapt to what the team already has learned.

“When I ask them what they want to do offensively, wishbone is the wrong answer,” said Ansbaugh. “It isn’t like this is December, when they’ll have a chance to see the kids in the weight room and get to know them. This is a different process, but the main thing is that we get a great coach, and we’re going to do that.”

Jackson implemented a spread offense utilizing the passing skills of junior quarterback Phillip Steinmetz. The Bulldogs led the county in passing the past two seasons behind quarterbacks E.J. White and Steinmetz. Two St. Cloud receivers, Donnie Jennert (2009, Iowa State) and James Boone (2010, Colorado State) signed Division I scholarships after strong seniors years in Jackson’s offense.

Jackson may move to Liberty High as a football assistant.

Liberty head coach David Benson said Monday that Jackson was unable to meet with him as planned last Friday due to a family illness.

Benson said he has several openings on his coaching staff, primarily on defense.

“We need to bring in a defensive coordinator, but it has to be someone with experience who is ready to go, especially with this group of young men,” Benson said. “We have excellent talent on this team, so whoever comes in here is going to know how to take advantage of that talent. We’ve had a great coaching staff here, and I want to continue to build on that.”