A.D. Miller scrambling to find a new softball coach Also, a roundup of some past Tiger standouts
BY BILL MARTIN
Reporter Sports Editor
After just one year on the job, Rockdale softball coach Cheryl Dickens has left the Lady Tigers in the lurch to take an assistant’s job at Westlake.
In her first high school assignment, Dickens led Rockdale to an 8-14 mark, the Lady Tigers’ first losing season since 2004.
This late in the game, RISD Athletic Director Jeff Miller is scrambling to find a decent applicant for the school’s most consistent program.
When he does sign up a softball coach, it will be the 20th coach he has hired in his 2+ years here and the 10th head coach.
He has employed two basketball coaches, two volleyball coaches and now two softball coaches....
Milano Superintendent Lindy Robinson is slowly getting her coaching staff in order after having to replace an athletic director, football coach, boys basketball coach, girls basketball coach, baseball coach, not to mention a band director and a drama director.
Of course, ex-Thorndale Tim Berg has been in position as football coach for some time and was subsequently named Athletic Director.
Brett Voss has joined the staff and will become the head baseball coach along with football duties.
Former assistant Tashia Terry will become the girls head basketball coach and be assisted by Roxy Ely, who will enter her second season as softball coach...
Thorndale Athletic Director Jeff Lieberman has hired Bill Bransom from Meridian to replace Berg.
Bransom will of course coach football and become Lieberman’s No. 1 assistant n basketball when the Bulldogs try for a three-peat in March.
Veteran Bulldog assistant Lance Betak will take over the thriving Lady Dog softball program which reached new heights last season under Berg...
Speaking of coaches, the Locklin brothers, Kerry and Kim, just returned from Japan where they were lending a helping hand to teach the young countrymen to play the game of football.
Older brother Ray, who was in town recently, said his younger brothers were impressed by the Japanese work ethic, saying, they never had to tell them anything twice.
Kerry will enter his ninth season as defensive line coach at Fresno St. in September while Kim remains at Reedley College in California.
Also, Kerry released an instructional DVD titled “Defensive Techniques vs. The Run and Pass.”
Houston connection
Former Tiger Larry Jackson will remain the Houston Cougars strength coach for a third year.
Jackson did not follow former Cougar Coach Art Briles to Baylor when he took the job and also turned down a similar position with the San Francisco 49ers.
While the 49ers offered just a one-year contract, Houston countered with a three-year deal to keep Jackson on campus.
Jackson, one of five Rockdale players to play in the NFL, was joined on the Cougar staff last season by another Rockdale standout, Travis Ortega.
Ortega—a 2001 Rice graduate—was the defensive graduate assistant coach last season.
Ortega had just come off a three-season stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League.
You may remember before that, the hard-hitting Ortega went to back-to-back training camps with the Dallas Cowboys and was very close to becoming Rockdale’s sixth pro player.
Oretga was a four-year starter for the Owls and an Academic All-American as well.
