PANAMA CITY BEACH — Arnold held a coaches meeting on Monday with a lot of new faces.
Also fresh Athletic Director Rick Green hopes to see them again next year.
Green formally introduced four head coaches to solidify the department, which has seen much turnover through the years. Green is aware of the turnover having been at Arnold for seven years as softball coach. His appointment as AD makes him the fourth to hold the position in the school's history and each of those have held the spot at some point since 2012.
"We want to break the every year cycle. He's on a 10-year contract," Arnold Principal Keith Bland joked.
Kidding aside, Green said it will be important to have someone in the position for a prolonged period. At 58, he said he's at least five years away from retirement from the school system and he doesn't plan on stepping away before then.
"I thought long and hard about it and I know how demanding it is," Green said. "We need some stability. I'll be here until I retire. That's my goal."
New coaches took over the baseball, girls basketball, girls weightlifting and volleyball programs. Shuffling also occurred at some assistant slots, including one involving Green.
Greg Gumm was the final piece of the department's roster, as he recently moved into new housing and will take over in baseball. Arnold had a replacement for the departed Mitch Kelly, but the selection reneged on the decision. Gumm said he inquired about the position after the previous coach pulled out.
Gumm has been a head baseball coach for 23 years and won 459 games while in Kentucky. He's a fifth region Athletic Director's Hall of Fame inductee in Kentucky and posted one state runner-up finish. His son, Dale, is a member of the Northwest Florida State baseball team and his daughter, Lydia, is a top golfer at Florida State University.
"I'm really excited. Coaching in Florida is something I've always wanted to do," Gumm said. "I look forward to getting to meet the kids and set up a fall schedule."
Like Gumm, Sheryl Heninger takes over a program that previously had a longtime coach. Heninger has extensive coaching experience dating back to 1994 at Jupiter High School. She was recently at North Buncombe in Weaverville, N.C., since 2006.
Ray Ezell and Rachel Watson rounded out the new coaching list for 2014-15. Ezell, who is Green's assistant in softball, will take over the girls basketball program. The caveat is Ezell insisted Green help him as an assistant.
Watson will take over the girls lifting program for Anji Dunlap. The latter stepped away after 20 years as a coach to spend more time with her family. Dunlap will be on hand to aid Watson, who also is an assistant softball coach.
Green also announced that Candice Edmundson would be an assistant for the girls basketball team. Edmundson is a former Marlin who also played at Gulf Coast State and Columbus State. She spent last season as an assistant on the boys basketball team.