Samson hires Robert Bradford as football coach

Robert Bradford said he always envisioned himself as a possible coach at Samson.

On Thursday night, that became a reality for the former Pleasant Home coach.

Bradford, an assistant coach at Enterprise last year, was hired by the Geneva County School Board to be the head football coach and athletic director at Samson.

The Samson job wasn’t the only opening finalized Thursday. The Troy City School Board officially hired former Daleville and Valley head coach Mike Dean as head football coach and athletic director at Charles Henderson.

Bradford, who guided Pleasant Home from 2007-10 after two years as an assistant coach, takes over at Samson after Donnie Chesteen left to take a similar position at Geneva on Jan. 23.

“I am extremely humbled that I was chosen from a long list of candidates that applied,” Bradford said. “I feel blessed to be a part of this program and have a chance to lead the kids here.

“I can’t say enough nice things about Samson. It is the kind of job I saw myself going after and I am excited I am getting the chance to do it.”

While at Pleasant Home, Bradford faced Samson five times, four as head coach. His Eagles were 3-2 in those games, including 2-2 as head coach. He also faced Samson several times as the Eagles’ head baseball coach.

“I am very familiar with the level of athletes here and with coach (Brent) Johnson and with coach (Stan) Gooden, who was the head coach at Florala,” Bradford said. “There are quality coaches here and that is a great added bonus to the situation.

“I always thought a lot of the community support in Samson. The people love Samson football and they love Samson athletics. It is a great community, a small-town atmosphere.

“I was also impressed with the level of talent they had here, which is very good for a small school. But more so I was impressed with how hard they played and played with class. It is a program on the rise.”

The Tigers went 10-10 the last two years under Chesteen after the program won only 11 total games in seven previous seasons.

Samson principal Gerry Pippins felt after doing interviews that Bradford was the right fit for the program.

“He had the qualities we were looking for,” Pippins said. “We feel he will relate to our student body and felt he will be able to be a good role model for them. I understand he is an excellent teacher and feel he will motivate our kids in the classroom as well as in athletics.”

Bradford, in addition to being head football coach and athletic director, will assume the physical education duties left by Chesteen, who has already begun working at Geneva. Bradford might be shifted into history classes in the fall.

The new Tiger coach said he had a five-goal plan for success.

“It starts with character then moves to discipline,” Bradford said. “We have to instill good work ethic and as by product of those three things, we will have leadership. The last one is we will be a tough group with no individuals. We will be a close family that believes in each other.

“After those five things are accomplished then I think we will look back in the rear-view mirror and see that wins and losses will take care of itself.”

Bradford began his coaching career at Goshen, serving three years as an assistant coach. He then was defensive coordinator at Saks High School in Anniston for two years before being hired as defensive coordinator at Pleasant Home.

After two years leading the defense, Bradford was elevated to head coach after Jimmy Reeves gave up the duties. Bradford guided the Eagles for four years, going 15-24, taking a program from 3-7 to 5-6 and a playoff round in his last season.

The .500 record in the regular season of his last year marked only the fourth time Pleasant Home had been .500 or better in its history.

At Charles Henderson, Dean was officially named head coach by the Troy City School Board.

The former Daleville coach (2008) who was at Valley last year said the Charles Henderson job felt like it was an opportunity to settle down for his family.

“You always try to find a home that you can raise your family,” Dean said. “I have a wife and two kids and this felt like the right place to raise my family.”

Dean said the Troy community has quickly embraced him, showing him around the area and helping him look for a home to live in.

“They made us feel at home and that is important to me,” Dean said. “They have given us the red carpet treatment so to speak and that means a lot to me.”

He noted the support was evident during Thursday’s night board meeting when a good group of Trojans fans were on hand.
“They showed they are ready to change the culture and are ready for championships,” Dean said. “That was refreshing and exciting to see. That is what we are here for.”

Troy Superintendent Lee Hicks said the program was glad to have Dean on board.

“We are very excited,” Hicks said. “The passion he displayed in interviews and for what his vision is for the athletic program and football program was solid.

“We feel that ultimately he can lead us to championships and that is something we are shooting for. We are in the business to be competitive and to win championships at a state level and we feel he can do that.”

The new Trojan coach said it didn’t take long for him to begin feeling good about Charles Henderson while talking with Hicks and CHHS principal Dr. Boyd English.

“Within two minutes of my interview with Mr. Hicks and Dr. English, we were on the same page,” Dean said. “It was almost immediately that it felt like the right place for me.”

In fact, that “same page” mentality was evident in another way to Dean.

“We are so similar in our personalities,” Dean said, referring to Hicks, a former principal at Prattville who was associated with state championships while there. “He knows exactly what he wants and they want to have championships here. I have always wanted a place where they wanted to help you get that and I feel this place will allow us that.”