DONALDSONVILLE – The Ascension Parish School Board approved Tuesday the hiring of Terence Williams as the new athletic director and head football coach for Donaldsonville High School.
Williams, former head coach at Leesville High School, was one of three coaches who were interviewed for the position previously held by Gary Adkins.
The board also interviewed Dwayne Thomassee, an assistant coach at St. Amant High School and former Ascension Catholic High School head coach, and Benny Guilbeaux, an assistant coach at East St. John High School in Reserve.
“It was the best interview I’ve ever been a part of,” Williams said during the meeting Tuesday.
“There was not one question about wins and losses. Everything was about the kids. This parish is definitely about the kids.”
Williams served as Leesville’s head coach for the last two seasons. He compiled a 16-7 record and led the Wampus Cats to the playoffs both years.
Leesville had a 10-2 record last season. The team finished 4-0 in District 3-4A competition. After defeating St. Michael in a bi-district playoff game, Zachary High topped Leesville 21-19 in the regional round.
Donaldsonville High recently replaced Principal Gwen Boudreaux, who resigned at the end of the school year.
Esrom Pitre, Ph.D., who was an assistant principal at the school, replaced Boudreaux as principal.
In another matter, the board approved Superintendent Donald Songy’s request to advertise a request for proposals for a permanent generator for the board’s maintenance shop in Sorrento.
Songy said the cost could possibly exceed $20,000, which would require a three-week process to put the item out for bid.
Songy asked for permission to add the item to the agenda and ask for permission to advertise immediately since hurricane season officially began June 1.
The superintendent said he recently met with Ascension Parish President Tommy Martinez and his staff to discuss hurricane preparedness.
If a hurricane affects the area this season, Songy said the School Board would stay in contact with the parish Office of Emergency Preparedness through video conferencing from the Sorrento maintenance shop.
In an unrelated matter, the board approved the Gonzales Weekly Citizen as the lowest bidder to be the board’s official journal.
