Make no mistake Apalachee High School football coach Shane Davis wishes his trusted assistant David Wagner well in his new venture as head coach of cross county rival Winder-Barrow High School.
Yet, on the same hand, it won’t be the same with him gone, Davis said.
“I’m not going to sit here and say it’s a lot of fun right now,” the Wildcat head coach said earlier this week. “I have to look at it personally and professionally. Of course, it’s a good thing for Wag. It’s hard to be upset when you see someone from your program going on to be a head coach.”
The promotion to head coach status for Wagner is something all players, past and present, can take pride in, Davis said.
“They all played a part in it,” Davis said. “I’m always the one who is in the spotlight and the one who talks with the paper but our assistants are the ones who make things happen. I’ve been fortunate to work with Coach Wagner for several years.”
When Davis became the head coach at AHS, he recalls telling his coaching staff if the result was a success then each one could have the chance to move on one day as a head coach.
“I’ve been fortunate to have our staff in place for some time,” Davis said. “However, succcess breeds this. At some point, people are going to notice what you are doing. It opens doors for people.”
With Wagner departing for WBHS, Davis is left to look for a new defensive coordinator. It is not a task the Wildcat head coach takes lightly because he knows how important it is to have a coaching staff that works well together. In fact, in the past couple of seasons, Davis has had some vacancies on his staff, primarily because he did not want to mess with the chemistry of the current staff.
“I’ve got a good idea of what I want to do but I haven’t decided 100 percent yet,” Davis said. “I know the direction I want to go in.”
It will not be about replacing David Wagner, Davis said, rather finding someone to fill the roll of defensive coordinator.
“They are good coaches all over the United States,” Davis said. “Every coach is different. I can’t replace the person of David Wagner. We have to look for who will fit the bill and fit in the system we run. The new person has to be of high morals and high character and get along with the staff already in place. Our coaches get along so well now that I don’t won’t to do anything that would mess with that.”
While Davis said he would like to have a new coordinator in place within two-three weeks, he knows it could take longer. Wagner’s transfer will leave a physical education slot open at AHS.
“When you bring someone new in you are always taking a chance,” Davis said. “I love my job and I want our coaches to continue to enjoy what they do. That’s why this decision is too important to make quickly. It has to be done right.”
In many ways, AHS principal David McGee knows the emotions Wagner is going through. McGee is a former varsity coach at WBHS. Through the years he worked his way up in admistration to his current position at AHS.
“Coach Wagner has been a huge part of building the program here at Apalachee,” McGee said. “He is a tireless worker and expects the best from everyone on and off the field. I knew when he talked with me about applying for the job that he would wind up as one of their top candidates. I appreciate everything that he has contributed to the CHEE and I know he will do well at WBHS.”
Like McGee, AHS athletic director Brian Moore has direct ties to WBHS. Moore is a former assistant football coach for the Bulldoggs and later became the first head football coach at AHS when the school opened.
“Coach Wagner has been an integral part to our program’s success,” Moore said. “He also has been a big part of our strength and conditioning program the last two years that he has worked with Coach Davis in our weight room. Coach Davis has done an exceptional job of developing coaches in our football program and I am sure Coach Wagner will have success in his new position. “
