by WES FERGUSON

With fall sports right around the corner, Lehman High athletic coordinator Todd Raymond is scrambling to shuffle his coaching staff following a couple of unexpected departures.

Toby Spivey, an assistant track coach and football defensive coordinator, has been named the new head boys track coach. He’ll replace Michael Laney, who is leaving the coaching field to pursue an opportunity in real estate.

Spivey will continue to coordinate the Lobo defense when football players suit up for two-a-days on Aug. 6.

In the second move Shane Byrd will take over the girls track program from Guillermo “Willie” Elizondo, who resigned to focus on graduate school. Byrd coached girls track at Corpus Christi Moody before Raymond brought him on board as the Lobos’ quarterbacks coach this spring – Raymond’s first hire after being named head football coach and athletic coordinator in February.

Raymond said he hadn’t anticipated either coach leaving and added his first priority was to maintain the momentum of Lehman’s increasingly successful track program.

“It’s been a hectic couple of weeks,” Raymond said. “Both of those resignations happened since the Fourth of July, but I couldn’t hire some random person to throw in there. Our track programs have been doing really well, and Coach Laney and Coach Elizondo did a great job getting kids out (to participate). I want to make sure those programs stay moving in the same direction, and I trust Coach Byrd and Coach Spivey to do that. I feel good about those two moves.”

Byrd had already replaced Laney as the football offensive coordinator, though Raymond will retain hands-on control of the offense and will call the plays during games. Raymond thought Laney would coach wide receivers this season, and he now hopes to fill that position as soon as possible.

“It’s really late in the game, so it’s kind of tough,” Raymond said. “We’re trying to figure out how to get a quality person, and we’re looking within, too. I’ve got some things in the works.”

Raymond also reports that secondary coach Brian Hemphill has assumed the additional duty of special teams coordinator. In addition, Raymond has hired former Seguin assistant coach Greg Avila as freshman football coach and assistant baseball coach.

Though he inherited the coaching staff from previous athletic coordinator Steve Davis, who resigned under pressure in January, Raymond said the staff has adapted well to his new philosophy and coaching style.

“They’re really excited about the direction we’re headed,” he said. “Everybody’s bought into what I want to do.”

Laney agreed.

“Coach Raymond is doing a good job,” he said. “I really think they’re going to be in a situation where they’re going to blossom and have success across the board. We’ve had a little here and a little there, but the level of expectation is going to be at an all-time high.”

In his nearly eight years at Lehman – the last four at the helm of boys track – Laney said he watched Lobo athletes develop confidence and school pride. Participation in boys track doubled under his tenure, and the number of kids advancing from the district meet to regionals soared from next to none to 10 or 11 a year.

Though he described leaving as bittersweet, Laney said coaching had kept him away from his family too often. He added that he’s looking forward to having some free time to sit back and watch the Lobos.

“I had a good run there. I had a good time,” he said. “I’m a little disappointed I won’t be there when they have the kind of success they’re going to have, but this opportunity popped up, and I decided I needed to jump on it. It was hard, though. It was the hardest decision I’ve had to make.”