Sulphur has hired former Kinder head coach Jeff Wainwright as its head football coach. Wainwright succeeds Harold Fusilier,
who resigned after the season.
Wainwright has gone 65-42 in 10 seasons at Kinder and led the Yellow Jackets to six playoff berths. This season, Kinder went
8-3 and lost 14-13 to North Webster in the bi-district round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Wainwright’s best season at Kinder came in 2011, when the Yellow Jackets went 11-2 and reached the quarterfinal round of the
playoffs before losing to eventual state champion John Curtis in New Orleans.
Fusilier coached the Tors from 2010-12, compiling a 14-16 record.
Sulphur went 4-6 this season and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Tors reached the playoffs in each of Fusilier’s first
two seasons, losing to Jesuit in the bi-district round each time.
“Historically, Sulphur has a lot of
tradition, it has been a great place for a lot of good coaches and have
been competitive
in Southwest Louisiana,” Wainwright said. “The job came open and I
felt it was a natural fit for me, a chance for me to apply
and take on this opportunity. I think things can be turned around
quickly. There have been a lot of good athletes to come
through Sulphur and the community is really behind the program. I
am excited to get on the ground and meet the coaches and
kids and start moving in the right direction, to get back into the
playoffs.”
Wainwright said he enjoyed his decade in Kinder.
“I had a lot of good years there and just finished my tenth season,” he said. “I have enjoyed every minute of it. We won a
lot of football games, the kids responded wonderfully to the coaches over the years, it was great place for me to coach. I
had a great principal in Kent Reed for the past nine years, he taught me a lot about being a coach and running an athletic
program. There is no way to thank all the people I need to thank. It was a good time there, the program is really healthy
now and it will stay that way.”