[Sly Fox]

After Spangler left to be a coordinator at La Tech, the Presbyterian AD didn't have much time to find a new head football coach. And despite the prevailing sentiment among the PC folks, he didn't hire a Division I assistant to help with the transition up form Division II. Instead they have hired a high profile high school coach from down in South Carolina named Bobby Bentley of Byrnes High School. He led Byrnes to state titles from 2002-2005 and has regularly had his squads ranked int he USA Today Super 25. He's also a PC alum (Class of '90).


Bobby Bentley

PC Board on Developments

Rebels' Bentley To Coach Presbyterian College

POSTED: 6:55 pm EST January 15, 2007
UPDATED: 7:09 pm EST January 15, 2007



Byrnes High School football coach Bobby Bentley will be leaving the school to take the head coaching job at Presbyterian College, several sources have told WYFF News 4 Sports.

He is expected to be announced as the new coach no later than Wednesday.

Bentley, a 1990 Presbyterian graduate, has been the head coach at Byrnes for 11 years and led the Rebels to four straight state championships from 2002-2005.

This season, Byrnes lost only to eventual state champion Gaffney, once in the regular season and once in the playoffs.

Presbyterian officials said that Bentley, 38, interviewed for the job last week.

The Blue Hose are moving up to NCAA Division I-AA next season, a leap that will put the team in the same classification as Furman, Wofford and South Carolina State.

PC will play in the Big South Conference, which also includes Winthrop, Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina.

Tommy Spangler announced earlier this month that he was leaving PC to take the defensive coordinator's job at Louisiana Tech.

During six seasons with the Blue Hose, Spangler compiled a 42-24 record.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/10754921/detail.html

[thesportscritic]

interesting.

[SuperJon]

He's good. Byrnes has one of the longest winning streaks in the nation.

[WinthropEagleFan]

He's good. Byrnes has one of the longest winning streaks in the nation.

Byrnes HAD one of the longest winning streaks in the nation...they lost to Gaffney in the regular season and the playoffs this year. But he will likely turn PC into a spread-offense type of team...his teams at Byrnes put up pretty big offensive numbers.

[SuperJon]

That's right, I forgot they lost.

Their loss makes Indy's streak more impressive.

[thepostman]

but will it translate to the college game and all the recruiting things he must do...I would think that would be a tough adjustment, but I don't know anything about this guy or the school, but hey its worth a shot for a new I-AA team

[bigsmooth]

risky in my opinion.. that did not work out well for tom knotts from charlotte independence when he went to duke, but he was not the head coach either. we will see what happens.

[SuperJon]

risky in my opinion.. that did not work out well for tom knotts from charlotte independence when he went to duke, but he was not the head coach either. we will see what happens.

Dook and the ACC is a lot different than transitioning from DII to the Big South.

[bigsmooth]

SJ.....did i not say that??? it is a different situation. i also know they are a transitioning program..are you turning into a know it all???

[SuperJon]

No, I was just adding to the conversation. I took what you said and added on to it. I was helping, not hurting.

[PAmedic]

ladies, please

[SuperJon]

If I'm making $90,000 a year plus boosters at a high school, I'm staying at the high school.

[PAmedic]

but you don't get to wear blue hose

[SuperJon]

Would you want to see me in blue hose?

[Libertine]

This move will prove very interesting. PC has a lot of resources for their program and, under Spangler, I was genuinely concerned about having to going down there to play after '07. This guy's obviously done a lot at Byrnes and his kids have gone to football careers all over the map so it's not like he's completely unfamiliar w/ college football. I do find it a bit peculiar that I can't find a bio on him anywhere. I guess we'll have to wait until press time tomorrow.

[PAmedic]

...................

n/m

[Libertine]

If I'm making $90,000 a year plus boosters at a high school, I'm staying at the high school.

Rumor has it that PC was offering Bennett $150K plus endorsements. I doubt that Bentley got that but I'd bet it was enough.
To quote Krusty the Clown: "Their offer moved me...into a higher tax bracket!"

[Libertine]

It's official. Bentley is 106-51 in 13 seasons at Byrnes High School. He has never coached anywhere else.

http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... 051/NEWS01

[ATrain]

Well he was a solid coach at the high school level...I think he'll do ok at PC

[Libertine]

Quoted from the PC football board under the topic of "Press Conference, Coaches and Swooshes and Titles, Oh My!":

Did anybody go/listen to the press conference this morning in Edmunds? Phrases like "Nike sponsorship," "new staff," and "national title run in 2012" were thrown around....

http://bluehosesports.com/

Seems that Mr. Bentley's hiring has garnered some mixed feelings in Clinton (surprise, surprise).

[PAmedic]

yeah- one of the other guys was talking smack about how he still feels they will beat us, while several others were decrying the new HC lack of collegiate coaching experience and mocking his winning record in PeeWee league FB

i hear there is a coach from some pop warner league interviewing for the job. he has stifled several offenses consisting of many talented 6 and 7 year olds...

A HIGH SCHOOL coach? Are you kidding? What was wrong with the Rhode Island assistant? There is so much more as a coach you have to deal with on the collegiate level than at the high school level.

And, a 25-year-old wide receivers coach? I don't know about this.

I forsee a discipline problem in the future. I don't care how many state titles you win as a high school coach--you're still not a college coach. I can see going from HS to D3, but HS to D1? Wow.

http://z9.invisionfree.com/PC_Blue_Hose ... wtopic=122

[PAmedic]

actually, right now they're calling each other names and accusing one another of racism.

good start for their DI program

http://z9.invisionfree.com/PC_Blue_Hose ... =118&st=45

[Libertine]

I love that the 'Nattrell' guy thinks that all of those Byrnes seniors that have committed to Clemson or any other I-As are now going to back out and go to PC.

[PAmedic]

he is their MANGER

no offense MANGER- we love you

[PAmedic]

http://z9.invisionfree.com/PC_Blue_Hose ... wtopic=151

seems as though the guys on PC's board have heard the new guy is turning his back on their vaunted D II history.

maybe BIG NATE can explain this a little better.

I understand the apprehension associated w/ a new regime but it seems there are quite a few people down there REALLY attached to D II football for some reason.

the past is the past, I'd think...