Sawyer to take over at Desire Street

• By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 19, 2008 - Page: 8C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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After advancing to the Class 1A semifinals last fall, Desire Street Academy is definitely a high school football program on the rise.

That’s why new head coach Jeff Sawyer doesn’t plan to change a thing.

“When you go to the semifinals, that’s usually an indication you’re doing something right,” Sawyer said. “So we’ll just continue doing what we’ve been doing and fine tune things.”

The 38-year-old Sawyer became the Desire Street coach on Thursday when Mickey Joseph resigned citing family obligations.

Joseph, a former Archbishop Shaw and Nebraska quarterback, was the Lions coach for four years while his wife and children remained in Oklahoma.

“The people at Desire Street are great. I believe in all the things they’re doing,” Joseph said.

“It’s time for me step back and take some time to be with my family. I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do next. For a while, I’ll be Mr. Mom.”

Joseph recommended Sawyer, DSA’s defensive coordinator the last two seasons, for the head job. Sawyer’s experience includes six years as a head high school coach in Memphis.

The coaching change is part of an administrative shift at the school that moved to Baton Rouge in 2006 after being founded in New Orleans and spending a year in Florida following Hurricane Katrina.

Former Parkview Baptist basketball coach Don Green, most recently the principal at Carroll High of Monroe, took over as principal at Desire Street earlier this week.

Sawyer, a native of Mobile, Ala., was a linebacker at the University of Memphis from 1988-92. He then spent four years as a defensive end in the Canadian Football League, playing two years with British Columbia.

Once his playing career ended, Sawyer coached in the Memphis area. He was head football coach at Carver High for two years and head coach at Hamilton High for four seasons.

“I went back to school to get my master’s and I was down here working on my Ph.D.,” Sawyer said. “I have a friend who knew I was interested in getting back into coaching and he got me connected with Mickey. That’s how I got to Desire Street.”