Football file
Central High School has found the man it hopes can continue the football program’s run as one of the elite in Class 3-A.
Marvin Dantzler, a former head coach in Oklahoma and Louisiana, has been named the Yellowjackets’ new head coach, athletic director Ryan Bringhurst confirmed Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Dantzler was the head coach at Patterson (Louisiana) last season and stepped down in November after posting a 3-7 record. He was the head coach at Booker T. Washington in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 2012-15 and recorded a 33-12 record.
“Certainly the experience coach Dantzler is going to bring is great for us,” Bringhurst said. “He was at a school in Oklahoma, Booker T. Washington, that is very similar to Central. He had a lot of success there … and we felt he has the experience to help keep Central at a championship level.”
Dantzler replaces Ty Scroggins, who posted a 101-43 record and reached seven Class 3-A state championship games in this 10 seasons. The Yellowjackets won five state titles during his tenure (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and finished 9-6 last year after falling to Belfry in the championship game.
Dantzler said he began looking for a job in the Louisville area after stepping down at Patterson last November. A 2003 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, Dantzler coached in Louisiana before moving to Tulsa in 2009 and then returning to Louisiana last year.
“I enjoyed my time at home last year, but from a coaching standpoint I’m ready to get back to doing what I do,” Dantzler said Tuesday evening as he took a break from driving from Louisiana to Louisville. “I think I coach a little bit better away from home. When I’m away from home I’m focused and driven, and I’m definitely motivated to be at Central because it’s a top job. What coach Scroggins was able to do the last 10 years was pretty amazing.”
Dantzler coached at John Marshall in Tulsa from 2009-11, serving as defensive coordinator for the football team and head coach of a track and field program that won consecutive state titles. He was the assistant coach at Booker T. Washington in 2011 before becoming the head coach the next season. His 2014 and 2015 teams reached the Class 6AII state semifinals.
Dantzler told the Tulsa (Oklahoma) World one reason he left Booker T. Washington to return to Louisiana was to be closer to his mother.
Dantzler is a social studies teacher and will join the staff this week. He said he is looking forward to meeting his future players.
“I believe you have to stop the run and run the ball to be successful,” Dantzler said. “But we will utilize our strengths. If we have a good quarterback who can throw the ball and read it, we’ll definitely do more with the passing game. You can’t be one-dimensional no matter what offense or defense you run.”
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.