Football: Fort Stockton receives 22 applicants for open head-coaching position

Fort Stockton ISD released a list of 22 applicants for the head football coach-athletic director position.

It was released late Thursday evening, and the deadline for submitting applications was noon Friday, according to school board member Brent McGuire.

At least six interviews are scheduled. Four have been completed - one Tuesday, three Thursday - McGuire said. McGuire declined to reveal the names of those interviewed, though Fort Stockton secondary coach Scotty Bruington, an applicant, said Rex Whitfield interviewed Tuesday. Bruington has not been scheduled for an interview, he said.

Whitfield, a Fort Stockton graduate and former Sweetwater offensive coordinator who applied for head coaching jobs at Odessa High in 1999 and Fort Stockton in 2000, is listed as retired and residing in Idalou.

Two, "possibly three," interviews are scheduled for Monday, McGuire said. He added that the school board has interviewed candidates as their applications have come in, and because the board had not seen the full list as of Friday afternoon, there is a chance more will be interviewed than currently scheduled.

Six of the seven school board members and interim superintendent Ralph Traynham are conducting the interviews.

In the list given to the Odessa American, several have Permian Basin ties. Three - Bruington, outside linebackers coach Randy Wilson and Dwight Webb, listed as retired - are from Fort Stockton.

Other locals on the list: Kermit offensive coordinator Arick Heredia, who has applied to several head coaching openings this offseason, and Permian head basketball coach and assistant football coach Joe Flores, who said he is not a finalist. 

Fort Stockton may hire the new coach as early as Monday evening.

>> APPLICANTS:

Terry Benter, dean of student/athletic director, Omaro, Wis.

Scotty Bruington, secondary coach/head baseball coach, Fort Stockton

Ron Dupree, retired, Orange

Mark C. Erwin, assistant athletic director/assistant head football coach, Belton

Joe Flores, assistant football coach, Permian

Roy Garcia, assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, Levelland

Michael Gaston, head football coach/offensive coordinator, San Antonio Holmes

John Gullion, general manager, Hollywood, Fla.

John Henry, biology teacher, Rocksprings

Arick Heredia, offensive coordinator, Kermit

Paul Hidalgo, defensive coordinator, San Marcos

Luther Justus, head football coach, Del Ray, Fla.

Gary Lamar, head football and volleyball coach, Point Hope, Ark.

Luis Luna, teacher, El Paso

Michael Dale Morris, former coach at Ranger College Keller

Robert Ortega, defensive coordinator/head boys track coach, Horizon City

Jimmy Randolph, defensive coordinator/head boys track coach, Lampasas

William Glenn Tunstall, head football coach, Cushing

Peter Wagner, offensive coordinator/assistant track coach, San Antonio

Dwight Webb, retired, Fort Stockton

Rex Whitfield, retired, Idalou

Randy Wilson, teacher/coach, Fort Stockton