The Mojo Plan, Southlake staff change.. What I Hear...

As Gary Gaines gets set to be formally named as Odessa Permian coach at the Ector County school board Thursday night, there's already plans to rebuild a Mojo coaching staff that has seen head coach Darren Allman head off to Austin Westlake and take as many as four assistants and former Permian offensive coordinator Brandon Faircloth has left to be head coach at Port Neches-Grove and Ronnie Molina was named head coach at McCamey.

The 59-year-old Gaines returns to Permian where he was the head coach from 1986 through a state title in 1989. He's been a head coach at Abilene Christian and most recently Lubbock ISD athletic director.

The Mojo Plan isn't to bring back Gaines and re-tool the Wing T formation that propelled much of the program's past success. Gaines is a defensive guy and Permian likely will stick to the traditional West Texas 4-3. Gaines left Permian to be a linebackers coach at Texas Tech.

The Mojo Plan is to keep the multiple formation offense which has been so key to Permian's success under Allman. Among the offensive coordinator candidates Gaines already is talking former Brownwood coach Steve Freeman, who was an offensive mentor to Allman at Brownwood.

Freeman likely could be the guy Gaines picks to keep Allman's system and terminology to make a better transition for players. Freeman runs a multiple spread but will shift quickly to a power formation if defenses over adjust on pass coverage.

Allman's offenses have been a hybrid of what he learned under Freeman at Brownwood, what Allman learned under Randy Allen at Highland Park and the Florida-like tweaks Allman has implemented as his own influence.

The Mojo Plan is to keep what Permian has had recent success doing rather than trying to return to the successful formations of the past.

Permian assistants Mike Ballew, Joe Flores, Jeff Howard and Jarrett Lambert - are expected to remain.

Gaines advantage

Coming from the Lubbock ISD, Gaines has intimate knowledge of Permian's opponents in that monstrous 10-member District 2-5A that includes Lubbock, Coronado and Monterey of the Lubbock ISD.

A new Wasson at Southlake

Southlake Carroll has hired safeties coach Tim Wasson, a 19-year assistant at Lewisville. Tim is the younger brother of Dragons' coach Hal Wasson.

Doug Stephens has left after four years on the Southlake staff to complete another reunion. Stephens will be the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Katy Taylor under his old Cy Fair teammate Flint Risien.

Stephens will continue to run the Taylor offense which led to Taylor's deepest playoff run (three rounds) since 1986.

Stephens replaces Larry Edmondson, named wide receivers coach at Rice.

Trivia

Some more reunion ties. With Jayson Lavender returning to his alma mater Wichita Falls as head coach he'll be competing against his former Wichita Falls Drillers semi-pro teammate _ Wichita Falls Rider coach Scott Ponder.

Another of Lavender's and Ponder's Drillers teammates is newly named Byron Nelson coach Brian Polk, who'll start that varsity program for the Justin ISD in 2010.

Watch San Antonio

San Antonio Churchill is putting a lot of effort into rejuvenating its program and is starting out its search by thinking big for a replacement to Carl Gustafson, who moved into the North East ISD athletic office.

New UT-San Antonio coach Larry Coker also is talking to several prominent high school coaches around the state to join his staff and tap into the state's recruiting talent.

Some prominent names may talk to both Churchill and UTSA but both jobs may face obstacles in matching the pay level that many successful head coaches receive.