Cody White

Denison's Cody White will lead Eagles under Friday Night Lights

Updated 10:35 p.m. Wednesday

By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood Academy went out of Middle Tennessee last time for a football coach, and this time the perennial power went all the way to the Friday Night Lights of Texas high school football for its new coach.

Cody White, with 17 years of coaching experience in Texas 4A and 5A football, accepted an offer to become Brentwood Academy’s next head football coach and athletic director, the school announced. White, who turned down the BA job five years ago before Chattanooga McCallie’s Ralph Potter was hired, currently serves in both those positions at Denison (Texas) High School.

“I had a prior relationship and when this change happened, we started revisiting it,” White said Wednesday night from Texas. “I have always been impressed with the school. It wasn’t the right timing for myself –  I needed more experience – and in the long run it was probably best for the school too.

“My kids are a little older now, and it’s an incredible mission the school has and a great opportunity for my children to be part of it.”

White, who grew up in Branson, Mo., and walked on at (formerly Southwest) Texas State but graduated from Baylor, has daughters in the 7th, 4th and 1st grades who will enroll at the Christian school.

Known for some high-powered offenses as an offensive coordinator and head coach, White has coaching experience with prestigious programs at Highland Park High in Dallas and Odessa (Texas) Permian High School, the school the Friday Night Lights book was based on and where the movie was filmed during White's tenure. He became head coach at Denison in 2006 and athletic director in June 2009, starting out as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the school in 2005.

 “You’ve got to be adaptable,” he said about his schemes. “I don’t have any idea coming in. We’ll see what the strengths of the staff are and how we fit together, what those guys believe. The key to it is the kids executing.”

White said his basic philosophy is on the Appalachian State model, with spread offenses to set up the run and effective play action. But he said he molds his schemes according to “what kind of kids I have.” One year with a great running back Denison relied on the run game, but the next year had experienced receivers and threw for 3,000 yards, he said.

He said you can have a high-throttle offense “when you have those kids,” referring to athletes he coached that included eight current or former players in Division I college programs. He says he’s seen an incredible shift in the landscape of football in his coaching tenure, from the I-formation and split back veer to the spread offense.

And Texas high school football is really just as big as they say it is, according to White.

“Yeah it is -- it’s quite a deal,” he said. “I don’t know even how to compare it till I get back there. Player-wise it’s phenomenal what is going on there (at BA) that I’ve seen on video. The difference is Friday night is such a big deal.”

White says teams may draw 30,000, 40,000 or 50,000 sometimes for big games at Texas Stadium.

 “In 2009, we had 19,000 to 20,000, and between the two towns neither one had more than 16,000 people,” he said. “It’s definitely what people identify with, especially in a town like Denison. It’s exciting.

“Probably one other difference is we see our kids almost year-round. We have football every day, except when they’re in other sports, but then they come right back to us.”

Players, assistants to meet new coach next week

Brentwood Academy junior quarterback Max Staver said players expect to meet White when he comes to the school next Monday and Tuesday to meet with and interview current assistants. White will apparently move to Brentwood the following week, Staver was told.

“We had very brief information,” the starting quarterback said. “I heard he runs the spread and also the l-formation. I’m definitely excited. I’ve been in this situation many times. It’s my fourth coach in four years, and I’ve had to learn new offenses. So I’m comfortable in this situation.”

Staver played his first two years at Pope John Paul II, where former BA state championship player Jeff Brothers was the coach before former NFL player Jeff Rutledge took over the following season. Staver then played for Potter last fall after transferring to Brentwood Academy.

“I’m excited to grow in a new relationship with the new coach, that’s what’s important for a coach and quarterback,” he added.

Staver and other players heard about the news from their strength coach following workouts yesterday after school.

“There was some excitement around,” Staver said. “We all know as a team we have to stay focused, and get ready … to implement game plans, our schemes, defensively and offensively. It takes a lot to adjust to a new system. People are excited, but there’s still a lot of talk. I’ve been getting text messages.”

BA headmaster says White fits with school's mission

Headmaster Curt Masters, with a previous connection to White, said the new coach’s “experience and character are superior. His leadership and work ethic truly demonstrate the spirit of the BA mission. Throughout his career, he has been known for leading young people by nurturing and challenging them, all to God’s glory.”

White had a 34-24 record at Denison and went 6-2 in the playoffs including make the 4A state semifinals in 2009. His teams have won two district championships, two bi-district championships, two area championships and one regional championship.

He has been named the district coach of the year twice and area coach of the year on three occasions. During his coaching career, he served under well-known Texas coaches such as Scott Smith, Randy Allen and Bob Brown.

In Texas, Denison ISD Superintendent Dr. Henry Scott told the local NBC affiliate KTEN-TV that "Coach White has been a tremendous role model and motivator for our student-athletes, both on and off the playing field. He will be sorely missed, but we wish him well in his new venture."

White becomes just the fourth head football coach in Brentwood Academy’s history. Legendary coach Carlton Flatt started the program and came out of retirement to win BA’s 10th state championship in 2006 following his first replacement, former assistant Tom Moore.

Potter resigned in December after five seasons to return to McCallie where he had played, his dad had been head coach for 20 years, and Potter had previously won a state title as head coach. Potter made two Division II-AA finals and two semifinals before BA fell in the quarterfinals last fall.

"I just think that Texas as a whole, football’s really important," Flatt said Wednesday about White’s hiring. "And he’s coming into a situation at Brentwood Academy where football is important. I think he’ll be kinda used to that expectation."

Flatt, involved in the interview process, said he hadn't previously met White but that Masters had prior knowledge of the new Eagles coach.

The longtime BA coach said with the distance between White's current coaching job and Brentwood Academy, that's it hard to know how things will turn out on either side. But he noted that in the computer age, when a job opening goes up about 50-100 will apply.

"Hopefully it will be a good selection and things go well for us," Flatt said. "I just wish him well."

New Eagles coach known for wide-open offenses

BA junior Jalen Ramsey, who plays defensive back and running back-receiver for the Eagles, said he hadn’t heard much about the new coach after just learning of the news Wednesday afternoon. White’s 2009 team,  however, did set a school record by averaging nearly 500 yards per game, BA's announcement said.

"Really I’m open to anything. I’m in it for the team," Ramsey said. "I play on both sides of the ball, but defense is my main side of the ball."

Freshman running back C.J. Sanders, son of former Titans receiver Chris Sanders, said the team had been carrying on with off-season conditioning but welcomed news of a coach being in place.

“I’m excited actually. It’s a new beginning,” Sanders said. “I’m just prepared for whatever. I know I’ll have to work harder for next season. I’m excited about next season already.”

Sanders said it would be good to be able to start installing new systems in time for spring practice. He also said players had heard Coach White is “not really controlling, he lets his coaches coach.”

“I’m excited for that,” Sanders said about news of an explosive offense. “We’re asking questions about what type of offense he runs. And I know guys like (QB) Max (Staver) and Jalen are happy he runs the spread and multiple offenses. We’re excited we’ve got a coach and can get the ball rolling.”

White said his walk-on experience in college was a neat experience that he can share with student-athletes.  But knee problems (he also had knee surgery last fall) cut his college career short and he transferred to Baylor where he originally was a pre-med student.

“It was an unbelievable experience, but somewhere along the way at Baylor, I said ‘Do I really want to go to medical school?’ and the answer was no. … .My biggest influence besides my dad, my granddad and my mom were my coaches.”

White, whose father worked for Silver Dollar City in Branson, earned a bachelor’s in education from Baylor in 1994 and a master’s of education in administration from Southeastern Oklahoma University in 2008. His wife Lori White is an educator and Oklahoma State University graduate, and they are active members of Parkside Baptist Church in Denison.

He said Brentwood Academy’s mission as a Christian school was one of the biggest draws to the job.

“My kids will be around it all day long,” White said. “There’s no doubt religion was a part of it if not the biggest thing."

As athletic director at Denison, White implemented several team-building opportunities for his staff including retreats, Bible studies and vision-casting meetings, the BA announcement said. He is also known in the Denison community for developing service days for the football team and other sports teams.

He leads a community breakfast with local leaders each home game week and appears on a weekly television and radio broadcast.

"Obviously, Coach White has had a tremendous impact in the lives of his players and his community,” Masters said in a statement. “However, I am most impressed by his reputation for being the same person off the field as he is on the field. Those who know him best have shared many examples of how Cody leads by example with dignity and respect.”