Cagle leaves Bob Jones to be Sparkman’s head football coach

Former Bob Jones footbal coaches now at Sparkman (l to r) Lance Clark, Chris Cagle, David Converse
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)

HARVEST-  On Thursday night it became official. Sparkman High hired half of Bob Jones football staff. Offensive Coordinator Chris Cagle will become Sparkman Head Coach. Lance Clark, who coached Bob Jones special teams and was assistant defensive coordinator last year at Bob Jones becomes Sparkman’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach David Converse will coach the same at Sparkman as well as take the title Director of Football Operations.

Converse already lives in the Sparkman district. His son Merrick played baseball for Sparkman.

Sparkman principal Michael Campbell knew hiring Bob Jones top offensive coach would cause a ripple in Madison County but the football community demanded he try.

“The parents said they wanted a coach who is going to be in the community,” Campbell said. “They said look what Bob Jones does why can’t we do that. I called Robbie Parker and he had a lot of great things to say about Coach Cagle. I told him Bob Jones has such a quality program that we want to try to emulate it.”

Campbell knew Sparkman had success when Cagle was here as an assistant in 2006-2009 to then head coach Roger Haynes.

To finish the story of the hiring, Campbell then introduced Cagle to a crowd of about 60 supporters at the schools library.

Cagle said that Campbell called him just before spring practice at Bob Jones.

“He said he had a coaching opening and would like me to think about it. I told him I had a really good deal at Bob Jones. He said don’t tell me no, I just want you to know that we’re interested. I told my wife about it and she said ‘go for it’. My two girls both approved. I talked to David Converse and he said go for it. The next day Lance Clark, the co-defensive coordinator at Bob Jones comes up to me and says if you go I’m going with you. That is the five I needed. I’m excited to be back.”

Cagle said he was not looking to leave Bob Jones and it was a tough decision.

“Kevin Rose has taught me so much about being a coach and running a program. We still talk a lot. I told him I would be calling him a lot and he said that would be fine but this is home to me and my family is here. It means a lot that I have coached here before and know the community. I’ve got a lot of messages from former players who are very excited and are going to come by and see us.”

Cagle has two daughters, one that plays softball and one that plays volleyball.

“They are very excited about attending Sparkman,” he said.

Cagle said that he is an easy-going kind of coach who likes to laugh and have fun. He doesn’t do a lot of yelling and screaming but he told the players not to mistake kindness for weakness.

“There are going to be rules and things you are going to have to do and there is not a gray area,” Cagle told the players. “One person is not going to make or break a football team and we’re not going to have one or two people bring us down.”

“One thing me and other coaches would see when Sparkman played football was a lot of athletes but undisciplined. We’re going to have discipline, we are going to have rules and you will have to abide by them.”

Cagle talked to the players about three C’s; competition, confidence and commitment.

“In sports there is going to be a winner and loser but you cannot be afraid to be a loser. You have to put it on the line and compete and have confidence you are doing the best you can. If it doesn’t work out, ok. We are going to show you how committed we are going to be. We will coach these players hard but with respect. We will ask them to play hard and fast. We will compete in the weightroom, at practice, at games and in the classroom.”

Cagle talked about being a county high school. He pointed out that successful programs like Prattville and Foley has success as a county school.

“When we put this thing together and we start to win it will be as a community of coaches, players, parents, and supporters.”

Cagle said it bothered him when he heard the last coach, Bo Culver, left after three months without ever coaching a game.

“When you have a program that is struggling you are not going to hear a lot of good things. But I know there are good things here. I’ve been here before. It shows a lot of character of the players who have stayed through all the coaching changes.”

Another of his goals is that all senior football players get a scholarship whether athletic or academic. To that end he is bringing Lance Clark with him from Bob Jones. Clark will be defensive coordinator but will also be in charge of the College Ready Program. He will monitor academic performance, career preparedness such as scholarship application support, character development such as community service and social media education. He will also handle all recruiting duties taking a proactive approach with contacts to over 100 colleges in all divisions.

Also coming with Cagle will be Converse who will be the Director of Football Operations and coach linebackers.

Cagle has been coaching the hurry-up-no-huddle offense at Bob Jones for the last two years.

“We want to practice so fast that the game on Friday night seems slow. Defensively we want eleven guys flying to the ball.”