Head football coach steps down

Maddi Linsteadt and Layla Healey • January 17, 2020

Head football coach Todd Ford talks to his offensive players during the 2019 Tom Landry Classic where the Leopards fell to the Colleyville Heritage panthers 13-10.

Yesterday, head football coach Todd Ford announced his resignation from the program in hopes to ‘pursue new job opportunities.’ He reminisces in the word “family” as it was apart of the vision for the program when he arrived in spring 2016 after coaching at Cedar Ridge High School, and uses it as his own motivation for his upcoming endeavors. Ford’s record over the last four seasons at the school is 24-20.

“We are extremely thankful for Coach Ford and his contributions to the Leopard Football program,” athletic director Jim Bob Puckett said in the press release. “Over the past four years, he has helped to re-establish Lovejoy Leopard Football as an extremely competitive program.”

Puckett denied to comment further on Ford’s resignation.

The district plans to release a timeline for hiring the next football coach within the upcoming weeks. Superintendent Dr. Mike Goddard believes there will be valuable candidates for the position.

“Coach Ford has been a great contributor to the Leopard Football program,” said Goddard in the press release. “I am excited about his future and wish him continued success. We have big shoes to fill. Leopard Football is an incredible program with incredible kids, and has a very bright future.”

About the Contributors

Maddi Linsteadt, Section Editor

Layla Healey, Staff Writer

Freshman Dominique Iannarelli is excited for her first year on the LJP staff. Iannarelli is involved in cross country, track and theatre. She is obsessed with dad jokes and dogs. At the end of the day, you can find Iannarelli in the kitchen cooking Italian food or baking. She loves to spend time with family, friends and her dog Hershey. Iannarelli looks forward to an amazing freshman year and can't wait to make the best of it.

Grace Nguyen, Section Editor

Fueled daily by three iced vanilla coffees, standing at 5’2”, Grace Nguyen will walk into the E103 door with no problem. Grace is entering senior year, and the only reason she is believed to have survived high school is because of the napping couch in the photography studio. During her time on staff, Grace has been to almost every football game, win or loss, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. Yes, Grace has been tackled by football players, run over by coaches, and body slammed by referees. Nonetheless, Grace will confidently walk on the field this year, bruises and all, alongside her sideline media team. Stepping outside the newsroom, which is rare, Grace enjoys playing softball, hanging out with family and friends, and finding excuses to go to every $3 Pazookie Tuesdays at BJ’s. After high school, Grace hopes to pursue a career in sports photojournalism, so watch out for her still getting run over by athletes on ESPN in the years to come. Although it’s bittersweet to leave newspaper upon graduation, Grace is thankful for all the opportunities that she’s had on staff. Through The Red Ledger, Grace created long-lasting friendships and won a lot of awards that she never imagined was possible. Grace hopes that current and future staffers will think of this national-award-winning publication the same way as she did–a second family and their home away from home.