Calhoun City filled its head football coaching vacancy last week with the promotion of offensive coordinator M.D. Jennings to the position.
Jennings spent his high school days at Calhoun City and worked his way into the NFL where he played five seasons. Even after making it to the highest level of the game, Jennings is excited for the opportunity to lead his alma mater’s program.
M.D. Jennings
“It means a lot having the opportunity to come back home and take over a program that has as much tradition and pride as Calhoun City football,” Jennings said. “It’s definitely a dream come true.”
Jennings replaces Chad White, who departed for an assistant coach position at Ripley earlier this spring. In the interview process with Calhoun City principal Mike Ray, who served as City’s head coach himself earlier in his career before moving into administration, Jennings said the focus was making sure his hire was right for the team.
“We basically talked things over, making sure it was the right fit for the program,” Jennings said. “He gave me time to think about it, and I told him I felt like I was ready for the opportunity.”
In taking over the Calhoun City program, Jennings hopes to pass some of the tendencies he learned in the NFL to his team this season.
“Playing at a higher level, it gives you the opportunity to see the game from a different perspective because that was my job: playing the game,” Jennings said. “I learned how to break down film and take care of my body, so hopefully I can implement that into the program.”
White served as defensive coordinator along with his head coach title last season while Jennings ran the offensive playcalling. As the staff currently stands, Jennings is unsure what coaches’ specific roles on the sideline will be this fall, but he plans to evaluate and see what is in the best interest of the program.
“We’re really not sure right now [about coordinator positions],” Jennings said. “As head coach, I really want to do what’s best for the team. If that means me staying on the offensive side of the ball, I’ll be willing to do that, or if I’ve got to go to the defensive side, I’ll do that. Whatever’s best for the team, that’s the way we’re going to move forward.”