Close your eyes for a moment...

It's late August and you are at Manchester expecting to see Coach Tom Hall but he's not there.

Deep Run is playing Douglas Freeman but George Bland is not on the sidelines of the Mavericks, he's on the sideline of the Wildcats? As AD?

No Perry Jones at Glen Allen? He had the Jags on the rise but now he's helping coach Tribe football at William & Mary.

You go to Bird and you see an alum coaching the team he played for but it's not Troy Taylor... you blink to see if your mind is playing tricks on you but it is not.

Richmond (formerly George Wythe) has a new face on the sideline... and Prince George... "Great Scott" no, not Coach Girolmo, he stepped down.

Tom Hall at Prince George??? Did we enter a paraell dimension?

The answer is no, it is just another chapter in that ever moving coaching carousel that saw six programs effected by change. We are entering our 5th season of the decade and we have had a total of 33 coaching changes. That matches the stretch of 2016-2019 when there were 33 coaching changes.

For Prince George this is their second coaching change within the first four years of the decade.

One last mind-blowing stat to throw at you... There are just 9 teams/programs that have the same coach they had in 2019 in the Central Region. That means in 5 years 25 teams have made a change! That's nearly three-quarters of the region!

So who are the new faces as we enter 2024?

Coach Hall is no stranger to the Central Region but after 25 years at Manchester it was time for a change, time for a new challenge. He will certainly get that at Prince George where the program pales in comparison to where Manchester is. That said, Manchester is not what they are now when Hall landed there in 1999, in some cases the two are familiar in starting points for the legendary coach. He is the 16th head coach in Prince George history and certainly the most accomplished.

Read more about the move here, Coach Tom Hall Takes On Prince George

Coach Matt Bland might be the 8th coach in the history of the LC Bird program but he is the 4th in 10 years. A little instability for one of the more storied programs in the region and a program that was one of the elite just a decade ago.

The Skyhawks are bringing in an alum of Bird just as they did with Troy Taylor before him. Coach Bland is what one would consider a lifer at Bird. Once a fan sneaking into games through a fence, then a player under Coach Schrotenboer who Coach Bland credits for saving his life when Coach Bland could have stayed on a course of self destruction. A future was paved at Bird as a player that saw him play for West Virginia when he time was up as a Skyhawk.

You can always go home and for 29 of the last 32 years Coach Bland has been home. Whether it is coaching defensive line, offensive line, special teams or being a defensive coordinator... Coach Bland has done it all.

As one would imagine there were a "ton of applicants" for this position, Bird still holds a lot of weight in the state but Bland had support behind him from former players, teammates and friends such as Troy Taylor & Tom Hall. Hall and Bland go way back, even before their playing time at Bird.

Coach Bland is committed to restoring Bird to it's stature of a decade ago. He doesn't shy away from who he is, "an old school hard a** coach who has high expectations and is obsessed with football".

At the time Coach Bland and I talked in December he felt this team was not far off "a year ago we were playing the Springers in the regional championship". Playing for championships be it regional or state used to be the norm at Bird and no one is putting more pressure on themselves then Coach Bland... "we got to win, that is the bottom line".

In his first season Coach Bland wants to be "competitive and make a deep playoff run". Coach Bland has assembled a staff of folks who were a part of the 'Bedwell championship years' of 2012-2014. Those in the football community have heard it described as "the band is back together"... time will tell if the band can still top the charts.

Kevin Simonds and Art Blanchard split duties up leading the Mavericks early on in the offseason with George Bland leaving to be AD at Deep Run. "Someone had to take charge, Art lead the workouts, I took care of the administrative duties" but when it came down to naming the 7th head coach in program history, Simonds got the nod.

Simonds brings experience as a head coach to the Mavericks after serving 6 seasons in Fairfax where he went 30-33 and most recently the Spring season of 2021 he was at Godwin going 1-5. Could the third time be the charm for Simonds?

It very well could be as Simonds under Bland picked up a few things as any student of the game does. "You are always learning new ways, new things no matter where you go or what you do in life. The biggest thing I take from working with George is importance of communication, communication between players and coaches as well as us coaches. We must all be on the same page."

What Coach Simonds learned last season is not so much learned but rather reiterated and that is just how tough the game is and the toll attrition can take on a team. Last season the Mavericks were besieged by injuries and that is why he is looking to build depth going into 2024.

"We have the JV and varsity together at camp so they can understand system and culture in addition to building depth. We will be benefit this season from those sophomores who had to step up last season who gained valuable experience."

Also being built in camp and this offseason is the culture, a culture of tenacity and competitiveness. "We have to put the best players in the best position to be successessful, for themselves and for the team".

The pieces are being put together... "3 of our 5 offensive lineman return, Butter (Warwick Stephenson) & Kevin (China) will be back carrying the ball for us and Wells Nunally will be at QB; the most work to be done will be on defense". That defense has been the strength of the Mavericks the last couple of seasons so this will be interesting to see.

"There is a quiet buzz right now with us, a strong run is possible but there are two reasons why we are here... we are here to build great young men who will make a difference here and beyond. The other is to win and if we fulfill the first part, the wins will surely come."

After a plethora of applicants, the Glen Allen Jaguars named defensive coordinator Malik Sexton as the fifth head coach in program history.

Sexton brings a wealth of experience with him to his new position having played as a 3-year starter in the 757 at Churchland where he earned all-state honors to his time at Virginia State. In his time at Virginia State he was part of two CIAA championship winning teams and played under two of the best in Latrell Scott and Reggie Barlow.

Not only did Malik play for four different coaches at VSU but he played multiple positions on defense. Sexton also has worked his way through the Jags program in a short time from coaching linebackers and the defense on JV in 2021 to defensive coordinator on varsity.

His experiences as a player, as a coach will be an asset in a season where the senior class is adjusting to a new but familiar head coach. "I spent 3.5 years with Perry, my role grew every year". In 3.5 years Malik has grown to love this team and community which is why he earned the job over so many other applicants. Support of the players, endorsement of Jones were all keys to the hire; "I don't know what it's like to be elsewhere, I have grown as a coach, a man, a person within this program". That growth has brought about a thorough and detailed knowledge of the game and approach to the way he coaches that he feels will pay dividends.

A foundation has been built by Jones and Sexton recalls his first 7 on 7 as a defensive coordinator, pitted against Highland Springs. Seeing that team, they are my inspiration... that is who you should aspire to be as a team".

"We have an amazing senior class and the new additions are just as key. I want high character players who want to deliver for their teammates, their school, their community. This program is bigger than me, get your popcorn ready cause we are coming."

Jason Harrell becomes the 15th head football coach in Manchester Lancer history when he takes the field this season. Believe it or not Bill Clinton was still president the last time there was a new face at the helm of the Lancers. Let that sink in for a moment.

Coach Harrell has some mighty big shoes to fill as Coach Hall became one of the GOAT's of the region right before our eyes over the last 25 years. Complicating the situation for Harrell in his first season is the hit from graduating and young men transferring out of the program. The deck will be stacked against him but he is more than ready for the challenge.

Harrell has been mentored not just by Tom Hall but also his own high school coach Robert Jackson who he played for in the 757 as a Salem Sun Devil. The support of the Lancer community behind him, he was not looking forward to the long wait for the season when I spoke with him earlier this season.

"The goal is to win, I take losses personally" which is rare to hear from coaches in today's time but also refreshing. The loss to Highland Springs in the playoffs was tough personally even though he was just defensive coordinator at that time. That loss is a motivating factor for Harrell and the Lancers as they stare 2024 in the eyes.

Coach Benjamin Hutchinson becomes the 19th head coach of the Richmond Bulldogs (formerly George Wythe). Coach Hutchinson is the latest coach to be tasked with helping the Bulldogs climb out of the cellar of the Central Region. The Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back winless seasons

Since going 6-4 in 2003 the Bulldogs have managed just 5 wins total over the 19 years since! Coach Hutch as he has come to be known is the 9th head coach since 2003.