For Allen Whitaker, it is a return that was 20 years in the making. The former White Castle High running back/sprinter who won five state track titles as a coach at Ruston is the new head boys track coach Scotlandville.
“It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been in Ruston for 20 years,” Whitaker said. “I came here to be a walk-on football player at Louisiana Tech. That did not work out, but I stuck around, got my degree and started teaching special ed.
“I am ready to get started at Scotlandville. The goal is always to win … in the classroom and on the track. So, the first thing will be meeting and evaluating the student-athletes.”
Whitaker’s specialty is coaching jumps. Ruston’s Brandon Green was the nation’s top triple jumper in 2022. Ruston assistant Kevin Jackson also is coming to Scotlandville and will coach sprinters.
Scotlandville’s addition of Whitaker and Jackson is not the only local track coaching news. Longtime West Feliciana coach Nick Smith has moved to Catholic-Pointe Coupee as head boys/girls cross country coach and assistant track coach.
Also, former Scotlandville coach Johnny Duncan is the new boys track coach at Class 3A Glen Oaks. Duncan coached at Central last spring.
“We are so excited about this move as a family. My wife is from Plaquemine, so this means a lot to her also,” Whitaker added. “Our son will be a senior this year and our daughter is going into the seventh grade. This gives us a chance to be around their grandparents and their cousins more.”
Smith won two boys cross country titles at West Feliciana and spent 28 years as a teacher/coach at the school.
“The biggest thing for a Class 1A school is building numbers,” Smith said. “Right now we have two boys and we just added another girl to give us five total.”
Appeals still pending
The LHSAA has not released results on appeals by schools looking to change their status from select to nonselect for the 2022-23 school.
Glen Oaks is the lone East Baton Rouge Parish school to appeal its select status. Livonia, Slaughter Community Charter and four Iberville Parish schools — East Iberville, North Iberville, Plaquemine and White Castle — also are on the appeals list.
Tangipahoa is among the 11 open enrollment parishes appealing their placement among select schools. That list also includes Orleans and Jefferson Parish with a combined total of 36 schools.
One parish, Rapides, announced plans to sue the LHSAA over placement of its 11 schools in the select schools ranks earlier this month.
More about coaches
Steven Ensminger Jr., son of former LSU quarterback and offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, is a coaching free agent.
The Lincoln Parish Journal reported that Cedar Creek and Ensminger agreed to part ways four months after he was hired as a head football coach/athletic director. Ensminger was an assistant at Ruston last fall.
• Southeastern Louisiana University track/cross country coach Corey Mistretta has resigned to pursue other opportunities. Mistretta is a former Redemptorist High athlete and coach. He was twice named Southland Conference Coach of the Year during five years as head coach.
He is the son of former coach Bucky Mistretta (Ascension Catholic, Redemptorist, Lee) and the brother Dutchtown football coach Guy Mistretta.
Former Walker High and SLU standout Michael Rheams has been named SLU’s interim coach.
• Former Central High standout Natalie Poole recently resigned as softball coach at Memphis. Poole had been the Tigers’ head coach for 11 seasons.
Recruiting notes
Southern Lab defensive back Carl Williams IV has committed to Baylor. Williams helped the Kittens win the Division IV title last fall.
Former Parkview Baptist and Family Christian basketball player AJ Mercier has signed with Our Lady of the Lake, an NAIA school located in San Antonio.
Mercier scored over 2,500 points during his prep career and was an all-state selection as a junior for FCA.