Pieces are still being put into place by new athletic director and head football coach Lev Holly.

The Blue Devils coach has been on the job for just under a month, but is looking for the final additions to his football coaching staff.
One thing that is known at this point is what coaches will remain on staff from the previous one.

“Coach (Darryl) Otwell and coach (Karl) Smith are staying on board,” Holly said. “Coach (Lee) Smith is coming on board from the middle school and the volunteer coaches are also staying around.”

The only coach leaving the staff at this point is assistant football coach Josh Dobbins.

To replace Dobbins, Holly has already started the process to find a new assistant.

Getting that done and having a complete staff is the first priority, Holly said.

“It’s important that we get this staff together quickly,” he said. “Mr. (Zickeyous) Byrd is working hand in hand with me to make sure we get that done. We have a lot of great applicants, so we are just sorting through the resumes to see who will be the best fit. They not only have to be good coaches, but first they have to be good educators.”

Once the staff is completed, the task of assigning specific positions to each coach will begin.

The decision on who will lead each position is still undecided, Holly said.

“It’s up in the air who will running offense and defense,” he said. “I will be running one  side of the ball. I won’t be micromanaging though. Whichever coaches are offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator are in control of the part of the ball. I will be involved, but I want things to be staff decisions.”

Building the new staff into a top notch group will also be a focus for Holly.

Bringing the coaches together like a family will be important in reaching that goal, Holly said.

“We just need to have that camaraderie,” he said. “We are going to put together activities to do as a staff in the community. I also want us to have lunch together once a week and also spend time with each other and our wives because I know this is a demanding job.”