What I hear: OConnor, Clark hires, Midway OC, Permian OC

Waco Midway coach Terry Gambill officially started on the day UIL realignment was announced. He got word of a widespread district which would include Killeen, Stephenville and San Angelo Lake View.

But Gambill is heading toward spring practices with his newly hired offensive coordinator and lots of enthusiasm.

Gambill reached back into his own coaching roots to hire Derek Alford, who has been coach at Quinlan Ford. Alford and Gambill were on the Joe Martin staff at Garland which won the 1999 Class 5A state title with a dramatic second-half rally to beat Katy.

Alford will be implementing the Spread Offense for Midway but there likely will be a lot of multiples as well to fit with Midway's personnel.

Gambill said he's interviewing the remaining members of former coach Kent Bachtel.

"This program is in great shape," Gambill said. "It's not like I'm coming into a tough situation. The kids' work ethic is great. Coach Bachtel and the staff have done a great job."

Gambill, a defensive coordinator at Allen, will have a talented senior defensive end Beau Blackshear (6-4, 230) and 2012 super defensive back Shakiel Randolph.Quarterback Ryan Smith returns with talented running back Marc Martinez.

In non-district games, Midway will play Round Rock win Zero Week, RR McNeil, Belton, Everman and Austin Bowie before a bye week before district.

Magnolia West looks set

Won't be official until it gets the school board approval, but former Baylor standout QB Shawn Bell is the man Magnolia West wants to replace Dave Joiner.

Magnolia West will be in District 17-4A with Brenham, Northbrook, Spring Woods, Stratford, Magnolia, Montgomery and Waller.

Bell has been at Class 2A Clifton and is the son of China Spring coach Mark Bell. Bell spent one year at Clifton, where he once was a student with his dad as football.

He went to school at the school as a kid when his dad, Mark Bell, was the football coach at the school.

Bell spent the 2008 football season calling plays for state-ranked China Spring. In 2007, Bell was an assistant at Stoney Point.

As a player, Bell was a record setting quarterback at both China Spring and Baylor.

Thomas Everett hired

Former Daingerfield/Baylor/Pittsburgh/Dallas star defensive back Thomas Everett has been named head coach at ESD in North Dallas to replace James Burk.

Lots of Cowboys connections to ESD. Gene and Jerry Jones Family Stadium with grandkids of Jerry Jones at ESD. Kids of Troy Aikman, Darryl Johnston and Wade Wilson attend but are a little young for varsity yet...

ESD has had some players. Quarterback Brock Mansion signed with Cal two years ago and center Robert Luce is a preferred walk-on at Missouri for 2010.

San Antonio hires

San Antonio Clark has promoted Steve McGhee to head coach from offensive coordinator. McGhee, an '88 Clark graduate, replaces Lloyd Alexander, who retires after 35 years with the last eight (six playoff berths) at Clark.

McGhee, 39, spent the past eight seasons at Clark as offensive coordinator.Included among his stints as an assistant was a stop at Roosevelt, where he coached the defensive line for the 1995 5A Division II state champion.

At O'Connor, defensive coordinator David Malesky was hired to replace Danny Padron, who left for Texas Lutheran College.

Malesky, 43, served as the Panthers' defensive coordinator for the past eight seasons after a two-year stint as head coach at Jourdanton from 2000-01.

He's the son of former longtime Holmes coach Gary Malesky.

Malesky, a 1984 Judson graduate who played linebacker on the 1983 Class 5A state championship, is in his 22nd year of coaching. He went 5-15 at Jourdanton.

Permian finds OC/Georgetown DC

Former Midlothian coach Robby Clark will be the offensive coordinator at Odessa Permian. Clark had successful offenses at Midlothian with a drop-back passer like Bryce Petty and a dual-threat quarterback in Dillon Fairbanks. But the Panthers' best record in the last three seasons came in 2007 with a 5-5 record. Offense wasn't Midlothian's problem.

Clark replaces Steve Freeman who left Permian after one year and was named coach at Breckenridge.

Georgetown has dipped into the college ranks. Looks like the new defensive coordinator will be Wade Griffin, who has been DC at Navarro JC in Corsicana.

Flippen McCoy

Brad McCoy resigned from Graham and announced he'll work with The Flippen Group, a company that focuses on talent development and organizational performance strategies in corporate, sports and educational areas.

"Brad's addition to our company will have a dramatic impact on our ability to grow our sports group," Flip Flippen, president and founder of The Flippen Group said in a press release. "Brad is one of the nation's top coaches and one of the finest men I know. Brad's abilities as a coach, speaker, educator and father are well known. What a honor to get to work with a long-time friend and outstanding professional."

A&M grad Flip Flippen founded the company based in College Station.