CLOVIS -- Quarterback Isaiah Burse and slotback Kevin Roya weren't the only ones to improve their prospects during Modesto Christian High School's run to a state football crown.
It also raised the profile of coach Mike Parsons -- whose performance during the final five weeks of the season has caught the eye of powerhouse Clovis West.
Just three weeks after celebrating a state title, Parsons spent Monday touring Clovis West's campus and making it clear he wants to fill a vacancy atop the football program.
"I wouldn't have driven two hours if I was not interested," said the 1989 Chowchilla graduate, who spent the day with his family of five and Clovis West Principal Ben Drati.
Clovis West is in the ultra-competitive Clovis Unified School District and ousted its foootball coach two years ago after making a section final.
In its bid to find the perfect coach who can produce titles on the field, and appease affluent boosters and parents, Clovis West has had four head coaches the last four seasons.
Clovis West wants a coach who can bring an exciting offense to campus and will remain with the program -- with the understanding his teams need to do better than .500. The Golden Eagles have won eight section titles since 1985.
"I've received a number of calls after each season, but this is the first time I've visited and taken it this far," Parsons said. "I've never aspired to coach at a D1 school, or at a college, but Clovis West ... that's a special situation with its success and tradition."
The opportunity to have his children in the Clovis school system would be a factor, he said, as well as the retirement benefits of being a teacher in a public school.
That emphasis on winning section titles to keep the job is a different enviroment than one Parsons walked into at MC six years ago. Then, its boys basketball program was a state powerhouse and the girls' program was on the rise.
Parsons bolstered MC's athletic program by going 63-13, and this season winning section and state football titles.
"I'm real happy where I'm at," said Parsons, whose Crusaders went 15-0 and beat Francis Parker of San Diego in the CIF Small School Bowl. "But you've got to take a look at Clovis West when it opens. It's a pretty special job."
The Bee selected Parsons as the Stanislaus District Coach of the Year two weeks ago, after his hybdrid wing-T attack scored 49 points a game and was virtually unstoppable.
MC was the smallest school in its 16-team playoff bracket, yet outscored four larger foes by an average scored of 52-23. In the Sac-Joaquin Section final, MC rolled to a 61-40 win over Placer, which has four times the enrollment of MC.
As the Crusaders were celebrating their state title, Clovis West reopened a coaching search that started last summer when Gary Kinne resigned to return to Texas after leading the Golden Eagles to the Central Section Division I title in his only season.
Clovis West assistant Coby Lindsey was designated interim coach, but he went 5-6 this season. The Golden Eagles' expect much better than .500, which is why Parsons was visiting the facilities.
Lindsey is still a candidate for the permanent position, Drati said, while others also have applied.
This is the fourth consecutive offseason Clovis West is looking for a leader. Coach Marty Martin was removed two years ago despite going 9-4-1 and reaching the section final but losing to Bakersfield.
Parsons will find out soon whether his future is at Clovis West or MC, or perhaps another school, as Clovis West expects to begin formally interviewing folks next week.
The Fresno Bee's Andy Boogaard contributed to this report.
RSS
E-Mail
Print
reprint or license
