BHS names varsity football coach By JAKE LINGER Sports Editor
After four months of searching, the Bowie Bulldogs finally have a new varsity football coach for the 2008 season. Jae Jackson, who spent a decade and a half with the BHS junior varsity and varsity football programs, stepped down following the 2007 season.
Pete Barham comes to Bowie with lengthy county experience. The Largo coach of 15 seasons, who also spent two seasons coaching at Montgomery College, is "an outstanding coach and a good communicator," according to BHS athletics director Bob Estes. "Pete knows football inside and out and he possesses really good interpersonal skills."
Barham will officially meet with the varsity team next week.
One of the sticking points in hiring a coach is that the county now does the hiring. The school chooses its candidates and then sends those names to the county where a background check is performed. The interview process, however, is still handled by the school administration.
An additional issue is that it is always the county - and school's - preference to find a current county educator to fill coaching vacancies. In extreme cases, there are coaches who can fill in on an emergency basis, meaning they have the job until a county teacher steps up and volunteers for the position. Barham will teach technology education at Bowie High beginning in the fall.
Winning over the varsity players and trying to get them to buy into a new system is tough, but the new coach seems to already have one foot in the door. Mark Tomlin, who will be a senior quarterback for Barham in 2008-'09, said, "I liked meeting (Barham) and talking to him. I think we'll win a lot of ball games."
Patrick Young, a junior next season, said that "it's going to be different, but at the same time it is going to be exciting. We're ready to start the football games."
Replacing a guy like Jackson is not necessarily an easy task. Jackson is a well-liked coach and counselor at Bowie High. "Coach Jackson is a class act ... and he has offered his support," said Barham. "And he's given me all the information I need. I just want to hit the ground running."
Barham said he will begin taking a look at the coaching staff next week and begin making decisions on what changes, if any, would likely be made.
