By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Aaron York played college football at Louisiana Christian in Pineville, married a Menard High girl, and the native Floridian has his feet firmly planted in Central Louisiana.
But his home address is shifting east, from Natchitoches and St. Mary’s High School, to Buckeye High, where after six seasons in charge of the Tigers’ program, he is succeeding new LC coach Ben McLaughlin as the Panthers’ head coach.
York announced his move to the St. Mary’s players early Monday. Although he’ll continue working at St. Mary’s through the end of the school year, he’ll be in transition and also putting in time at Buckeye.
Since 2018, he’s emerged as one of the standout coaches in Central Louisiana. York took over a proud and accomplished program and added to the rich St. Mary’s tradition.
York’s Tigers made the playoffs each season, highlighted by the last two – state LSWA Top 10 rankings, high power rankings and runs to the Division IV Select state quarterfinals in in 2022 and 2023. St. Mary’s has captured two District 3-1A championships in the past four years, topping public school power Logansport to do it.
In the last three years, despite playing a five-game non-district schedule that was filled with schools from larger classifications, SMHS has notched at least 8 wins; only a shortened Covid season in 2020 (6-2) prevented a very likely four-year streak.
The Tigers have handled Buckeye, beaten Menard, and notably knocked off Class 4A stalwart Abbeville in last fall’s season opener. His teams featured record-breaking quarterback Adam Parker, and when he headed to Southern Arkansas University, St. Mary’s became a predominantly power-running game offense that returned to the state quarters last fall. A stout defense and superior kicking game have also been Tiger trademarks as they’ve been 39-19 in his tenure.
All that sustained success, and the fact that his twin sons are entering the ninth grade next year, made this the right time to make a move, he said.
“I had a good opportunity come across,” he said Monday afternoon. “It’s kind of a bittersweet thing because this community, this school, these parents, these kids have been great to my family and I. We have a lot of gratitude for everything they’ve done for us.”
But looking at long-range career plans, it’s time to make that jump from private school to public school. With my boys going into the ninth grade, it’s the right time to move now.”
His philosophy at St. Mary’s will travel, he said, and it also is deeply rooted on East Fifth Street in Natchitoches.
“From Day 1 to now, the coaching staff has established, not just in football but in all sports, that we’re going to develop kids who compete, who are tough-nosed, who are strong kids. We knew we wouldn’t always be the biggest, or the fastest, but we knew if you can develop the competitive edge and toughness in a kid with a drive, a good attitude and good effort, you can win ballgames. Over the course of six years, we’ve seen that, not just in football but all sports. Everybody’s bought into that vision,” said York.
“It’s a similar situation at Buckeye. You can compare their kids to those here at St. Mary’s and it’s the same mold – a quality kid who works hard, is disciplined, is a tough, hard-nosed young man. It’s a public school but similar to St. Mary’s because of the community that exists in Buckeye.
“It’s just a bigger scale. Instead of 120 kids walking the hallway, you’ll have 900 to a thousand. You’re still going to work with the same caliber kids, and that’s what’s appealing about it,” he said.
York expects to benefit from retaining the Panthers’ current coaches.
“The staff there is a bunch of good guys. I know them from being around the area and competing against them. There may be opportunities to bring in 1-2 extra, maybe, but I have confidence in those men,” said York.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com