‘The spark is back’: Rodney Daniels takes over as head coach of East Union football

Loss after loss, East Union football could feel the 2023-24 season slipping away. The Lancers would finish with a 3-7 overall record prompting the firing of the head coach and a search for someone who could lead them to victories.

That’s where Rodney Daniels came in.

“I saw the position vacant here and I hopped right on it,” Daniels said. “It gave me the opportunity to come back with the freshmen that I coached two years ago, and now they’re juniors. I am extremely grateful to the Athletic Director Abbas Akhtar and Principal Eric Simoni for taking a chance on me.”

With his previous history as East Union freshman football head coach and more recently as Sierra’s JV head coach, Daniels is looking to be the guy to bring pride back to Lancer football.

New East Union High head varsity football coach Rodney Daniels, Jr. gives instruction to his players during a conditioning practice at the school in Manteca on Jun. 27, 2024.

From a Timberwolf to a Lancer

Before landing his first varsity head coaching gig, Daniels was dawning blue and white playing football and graduating from one of East Union’s crosstown rivals Sierra. The Class of 2007 alum has traded in his blue for red as did his father Rodney Sr. and brother Jared who also are joining the Lancers coaching staff this year.

Together they are looking to change not only the team’s culture but also the school’s culture when it comes to its athletic programs.

“Some people view us as the 3-7 type of team and we are working on changing the mindset — how these kids approach it,” Rodney Daniels said. “If they get stuck in that 3-7 mindset then it’s gonna stay onto the next season. We’re looking to kind of just destroy that old mindset and begin rebuilding.”

Keys to the rebuild don’t involve a ton of change. Daniels plans to keep East Union’s…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/spark-back-rodney-daniels-takes-204325569.html

Author : The Stockton Record

Publish date : 2024-07-05 20:43:25

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