The Lakeland High School officials are in search of a new head football coach. It is a long and thought-out process that has the Lakeland community buzzing.

Some players shared their opinions on the hiring. Junior cornerback Cody Morse, “As a player, I’m just excited to get back on the field, regardless of who the head coach is,” Morse said. 

Freshman quarterback Haydon Benson shared his thoughts, “I think it will be a new opportunity, It will be different. In my first year, I got used to how Kiefer ran things, from the weight room, boot camp, practice, etc.”

“I’m curious to see the way the new coach runs the team. Also, we won’t have the same relationship with the head coach that we built with Coach Kiefer,” Benson said.

The job is currently posted. The application will close on the 11th. At that point, the evaluation process will begin. The interview process will begin on March 25. This process consists of a formal panel, an informal panel (where athletes might meet with a coach, a community panel, and a coaches panel. 

Athletic director Matt Neff gave his insight on the hiring process, “Not everyone who applies for a job is qualified, you want to make sure you get a wide variety of diverse opinions to ensure you hire the best possible candidate. We’re looking forward to completing the process so we have someone in place to begin planning and preparing for next season.” Neff said.

The Lakeland Hawks community is eager to find out who will be leading the football squad next fall, and they should know soon.