Rams’ Valdez to stay put

Published 11:45 pm Friday, January 4, 2013

By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
EDGARD – West St. John football coach and athletic director Robert Valdez wants to make it clear: He’s going nowhere. Nor does he want to.
Rumors began circulating within the past two weeks that there might have been mutual interest between Valdez and Karr, which is searching for a new head football coach after former coach Jabbar Juluke accepted an assistant coaching position at Louisiana Tech.
Valdez has roots at the school and in that area; played offensive tackle at Karr in junior high school before going on to graduate from nearby O. Perry Walker.
But Valdez said that he has not applied for the position, nor has he been contacted by Karr about the vacancy.
“A lot of people were asking me if I was politicking for the job,” said Valdez. “And I’ve been saying, ‘No.’ There was never any genuine interest on my behalf.
“I’m happy where I am. It’s a good job and a good situation … This year, I’m graduating my first 8th grade class. These kids have been in this system for years, come up in this system … so I think, as a head coach, our program has just scratched the surface … We’ve got some unfinished business here.”
Valdez brought the Rams to the 2011 Class 1A state championship game, where it finished as state runner-up to Ouachita Christian. He nearly brought the team to the Superdome in consecutive seasons, the Rams falling just short of that after a 36-35 semifinal loss at Haynesville.
West St. John is 21-7 over the last two seasons, 17-2 in Class 1A, and was a district champion in each of the two seasons.
Though the Rams will graduate a heavy number of senior contributors, quarterback Austin Howard and running back Jeremy Jackson are among the top players returning next season. Both are among the state’s most accomplished players.
“Jeremy, we expect to have another tremendous season,” said Valdez. “And Austin is such a catalyst for us. He’s got somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 starts, and he’s been very unselfish.
“The game’s slowing down for him. And when that happens, you see kids really start to excel.”
And Valdez wants to see that happen up close.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.