Morgan City has a new football coach

Morgan City has a new head football coach in New Orleans native Brett Bonnaffons, a graduate of Holy Cross High School. Bonnaffons was a walk-on at Nicholls State in football and went into coaching after completing college.

The St. Mary Parish School Board voted 8-3 last night to give Bonnafons the job.

However, the board will continue to pay current coach Mark Millet through the end of the year or until he officially resigns.

The move drew opposition from board members Ginger Griffin, Marilyn LaSalle and Edward Payton Jr., who said they were opposed to paying both men to do the same job at the same time.

Superintendent Donald Aguillard told the board Bonnafons’ duties begin today.

LaSalle said her objection was over paying duplicate salaries until the end of 2010.

“Why bring on a second person and pay them (both to do the same job),” she asked.

Griffin then moved to have Bonnafons’ hire delayed until April 15 because there was no teaching position for Bonnafons to fill until he could take over as coach and athletic director. She pointed out the system had to cut $25,000 from its supply program.

Aguillard, defending his recommendation, said football players had already begun physical training for the next season and the move would also be beneficial for Bonnafons, who was moving from north Louisiana to take the job.

“He needs time to get to know the kids and get his game plan in place,” Aguillard said. “The move was made on the request of the principal (Mickey Fabre), who wants to take the program in a new direction.”

Board member Bill McCarty also supported the move in his district, saying the move would be a good one for his school.

“Morgan City High School is losing five to six students a year to private schools (due to losing),” he said. “The new coach will keep the kids in our system.”

Bonnaffons spent the last two seasons at Carroll High School in Monroe as the offensive coordinator and was instrumental in the turnaround this season with the Bulldogs. In 2008, Carroll went 2-7 in a very tough Class 4A district. With the help of re-classification, Carroll moved down to Class 3A and went 9-1 this past season, losing only to eventual 4A state champ Neville in the regular season. The Bulldogs were upset by Bogalusa in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

The 27 year old Bonnaffons will attempt to turnaround a Morgan City program that has won just 5 games in the last two seasons. In 2009, the Tigers went 2-8 and struggled through a season of staff turmoil.