Two area schools recently hired their next head football coaches.

Washington-Marion announced on Saturday through social media that Dio Bernard will lead the Charging Indians, while a St. Louis Catholic news release on Monday tabbed Dustin Nothnagel as the Saints’ next head coach.

Bernard spent the last two seasons as associate head coach and defensive coordinator at East St. John. Prior to that he spent one season at Assumption and three at Scotlandville in the same position.

“I am really excited,” Bernard said. “I am ready to step in and get this thing going in the right direction.”

Bernard prepped at Donaldsonville and played at Southern University where he was a member of the Jaguars’ Southwestern Athletic Conference and Black college national championship team. He said he wants to bring the same atmosphere to Washington-Marion.

“By me being a SWAC boy and going to Washington-Marion, I am trying to bring that same environment where they are sitting on the track and have to get stands from another school just to fit the capacity,” Bernard said. “I know that is not going to happen the first year or first game, but eventually, we want to bring that back.”

Bernard will be tasked with turning around a W-M program that went 1-18 over the last two seasons.

“Every coach wants to win, but my thing is what is important now,” Bernard said. “And what is important now at Washington-Marion is getting this thing going in the right direction, getting everybody back and loving to be at the football games rooting.

“No one wants to go 0-10 or 1-9. We want to compete and be known in the Lake Charles Area as one of the top five teams. I wouldn’t say the best team in the area, but we want to make ourselves relevant. We don’t want to be known as the bottom team or the team that you schedule for homecoming.”

Nothnagel, a DeRidder native, spent the last seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at Isidore Newman, including five semifinal appearances.

He replaces Brock Matherne, who stepped down in December to take the head coaching job at East Ascension. Matherne went 21-13 in three seasons.

Nothnagel was an all-district defensive back at South Beauregard (Class of 2011) before earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Louisiana-Lafayette where he got his coaching start. He has also coached at The Dunham School and Christian Life Academy.

Oakdale said it searching for a head coach after Destin Dieterich announced on social media that he was moving into administration.

Dieterich led the Warriors for five seasons with five playoff appearances and a 28-22 record.