photo by: Shane Jackson

New head coach Clint Bowen speaks to the Lawrence High football team Wednesday afternoon at the LHS cafeteria on Feb. 24, 2021. Bowen was named the LHS head coach in early February after spending over two decades as a collegiate assistant.

Lawrence High head football coach Clint Bowen had a clear plan when putting together a staff for the first time in his career.

Bowen wanted some young and energetic coaches who were also able to relate to the players on a more personal level, which led to him hiring three former Kansas football players as assistants. At the same time, Bowen filled out the rest of the staff with assistants from the previous regime to help with continuity.

The end result was the perfect balance for Bowen’s coaching staff.

“I think that’s critical,” Bowen said of the balance. “I wanted a good mix of guys who had experience as high school coaches, had experience at Lawrence High and our league. Guys who understood what went on.”

Bowen accomplished that by bringing back a handful of former LHS assistants. Jamie Resseguie was promoted to offensive coordinator and will also coach the offensive line. Jeff Lyster and Blake Mudd will serve as defensive coordinators, with the former also coaching defensive backs and the latter being in charge of linebackers.

Greg Farley is Lawrence’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Dexter Hayes is also an offensive assistant for the Lions. Adam Green, who has been with the program since 2005, will coach the running backs.

“Adam Green is the hardest-working human being in the summer of any profession,” Bowen said. “He literally goes from football practice to baseball practice in the afternoon, to baseball games at night, (and) back to us at seven-on-seven. He’s literally working 12-hour days in the summer to help the Lawrence High kids.”

The three former KU football players slated to join the staff are Codey Cole III, Mike Lee and Bryce Torneden. Cole will coach the defensive line, Lee will handle the cornerbacks, and Torneden is in charge of quarterbacks.

“My goal was to go out and get some young energetic guys,” Bowen said. “Guys that could bring some energy to the practices and still have a rapport with the kids.”

Bowen, who was hired to take over the program in February, began the process of putting together his staff by talking to the assistants who were already at LHS. He then received 22 applications from candidates outside of the school during the spring.

“The response we had of people reaching out to me in applying for jobs was really unbelievable,” Bowen said. “I thought that was a pretty good indicator of what the Lawrence High job represents. People wanted to be a part of that, so that was real eye-opening to me.”

Bowen really got things started when deciding which assistants to keep and where they would be coaching.

Resseguie was recently on the defensive side of the ball, but he has experience on offense after serving as offensive line coach under Dirk Wedd. For now, Resseguie and Bowen will share responsibilities directing the offense.

Lawrence’s offense will likely be tough under Resseguie, who has been in charge of the strength and conditioning at LHS and brings that mentality to his coaching.

“That grind-it-out mentality, to me, that fits Jamie Resseguie,” Bowen said. “He has that attention to detail. He has that little bit of bark about him to get guys to jump and to move and respond with some urgency because he’s that kind of guy.”

Bowen, who has decades of collegiate experience on the defensive side of the ball, will leave that unit alone at LHS. He has complete faith in Lyster, who was in charge of the Lawrence defense for the previous staff. Mudd will help him on that side of the ball as the co-defensive coordinator.

“Jeff Lyster is a football guy,” Bowen said. “We are so fortunate to have him on our staff. This is a guy that should be a head coach somewhere and will be as soon as he wants to because he is 100% invested in Lawrence High kids and 100% invested in football.”

To top it off, Bowen helped a few former KU players break into the coaching ranks.

Cole was the first to join, and will guide the defensive line room after playing that position at Kansas. He competed during the 2018 and 2019 seasons for the Jayhawks, recording a total of 31 tackles (22 solo stops) over those two years.

Cole has already had a big impact on the players, according to Bowen.

“Cody Cole is a master of just communicating with these kids and letting them know that he’s there for them,” Bowen said. “He has been so impressive in that way. And I just see the kids just flock to him after practice. It’s the Cody Cole social hour, all those kids just follow him around.”

Lee, meanwhile, was known for his bone-crushing hits during his KU career. The hard-hitting safety led the Jayhawks in tackles with 72 during his senior season in 2019, capping off an strong four-year career in Lawrence.

Bowen said Lee will help teach players how to be accountable because that was his defining trait as a player.

“The guy is as good as they come in terms of accountability,” Bowen said. “Then on top of it, as we all know, nobody brings more energy to the field than Mike Lee. The guy is the Energizer Bunny forever.”

Torneden is the coach that Bowen hopes isn’t still around this fall, because that will mean that the former Kansas defensive back is playing on an NFL roster. Torneden was a staple of the KU defense as a safety between 2016-19.

Instead of coaching defensive backs, though, Torneden is in charge of the quarterbacks, a position he played at Free State High School.

“What’s best for Bryce is to get on the offensive side of the ball,” Bowen said. “Because in this business right now, the offensive guys are ruling the world. And Bryce Torneden has future head coach at any level he wants to do written all over him.”

With the staff in place, the Lions are currently preparing for the upcoming season by conducting their summer workouts.