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Milburn's Busy With Search

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By EDDIE DANIELS

edaniels@tampatrib.com

Published: January 30, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - Zephyrhills athletic director Craig Milburn, who may be in his final year at the school, is trying to sift through applications to replace former Bulldogs football coach Tom Fisher, who ended his 20-year tenure when he resigned in December.

Fisher guided the Bulldogs to a 124-89 record in that span.

In all, Zephyrhills received roughly 17 applications, Milburn said. Because some either didn't officially complete the application process, or pulled their names from consideration, the pool has been reduced to 11.

"What's going to make it so hard is finding somebody that, again with budget cuts, we don't know if we're going to lose teachers," Milburn said. "What's going to be the hardest thing is finding a coach, if it isn't from on our staff, to match up with a teaching position.

"And then what adds to all of this is we'll have a new principal next year and I guess this is it for me, too. We're talking now that we may get this down to three or four people and try to wait until April to see if we know more about what positions are available, find out as soon as we can what principal is going to be here. That would be awfully nice. But that may not happen because we'd certainly like to have somebody on board and ready to do some spring football if we get to do spring football."

Tom Carter (Land O' Lakes associate head/line coach), Brian Colding (Wesley Chapel assistant), Troy Hochstetler (Zephyrhills defensive coordinator), Greg Mathis (Zephyrhills assistant), Michael Penix (former Pasco and Hernando assistant) and Jeremy Shobe (Wiregrass Ranch defensive coordinator) are the local connections to the open position.

Other in-state candidates include Robert Lyons of Odessa, who has held positions as head football coach and athletic director; and David Lawrence of Naples, who has coached in high school and was a college graduate assistant.

The opening has also drawn the attention of coaches from elsewhere in the country. Mike Einspahr of Blue Rapids, Kan., has head coaching experience and college experience. Mike Harville of Milledgeville, Ga., has been a head coach in high school in Florida and this past year was an assistant football coach at the Georgia Military College. He has also been a college football graduate assistant. Joe Ray of Ridgeland, Miss., also has college coaching experience in addition to being a high school head football coach.

Milburn said it is a must for the school's new coach to be on campus as an educator.

"We're going to look at that and see if there's anybody we find that we're comfortable with and if not, we'll readvertise," he said.

"This is something that's going to take some time and we want to do it right and we want to get a good person in here."

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214.

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