The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER 35 years at the helm of the Physical Education Department at St Augustine’s College, John Todd has stepped down and has turned the reigns of the Big Red Machine Athletic Department to Jason Edwards, one of his protégés.

And joining the PE staff this year is another protégé of Todd, Je’Vaughn Saunders. He along with Anastacia Sands-Moultrie and Daria Adderley will attempt to keep the legacy of the Big Red Machine alive in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools.

“It’s been a rewarding experience for me,” said Todd, who was recruited to join the faculty staff at SAC by its former deceased principal Leviticus ‘Uncle Lou’ Adderley while he was coaching at SC McPherson High School in 1980. “When I first got the call, I told Mr Adderley to give me five minutes and I would be there. I immediately jumped up and went over there and signed my papers.

“Over the years, I was able to learn quite a bit under the tutelage of Mr Adderley. He was able to teach me a lot and I really appreciate the fact that he saw something in me to ask me to come over to work at the institution. I guess many are called, but few are chosen. I think one of the good things about Mr Adderley was the fact that he allowed me to develop as a coach.”

As he leaves after producing at least 20 championship titles in softball and almost the same amount in basketball as well as working with the perennial track and field champions, Todd said he leaves with no regrets because the Big Red Machine’s programme is in good hands.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Jason and he’s done extremely well,” Todd said. “I think they have also picked up an excellent coach in Je’Vaughn Saunders. He’s done well for SAC during the time that I was there in volleyball, swimming, basketball and as a field competitor in track.

“I think I can now go and continue my swimming classes that I hold on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays for beginners. I am also doing an adult class that will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in the mornings, I have been offered a job to teach the pre-school, so I’m going to be quite busy. But I will always be around to assist SAC whenever they need me.”

As he steps up to his new role as Todd’s replacement, Edwards said it’s something that he’s been grooming himself for and he intends to take it in stride.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to develop the things that he left in place and add some new twists to it, but still keep the base of what St Augustine’s College is known for,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to know that you are selected from within because you have the passion for it.

“You’re not just going to do it because it’s something that has to be done, but you do it because of the passion that you have for it.”

As he takes over his new role, Edwards welcomes the addition of Saunders to his staff.

“He’s a good piece of the puzzle. He comes with a lot of expertise as a player in volleyball, basketball, softball and even swimming. He’s willing to pick up the mantel and learn as much as he can. I think he has the right attitude to go very far as a coach.”

And combined with Sands-Moultrie and Adderley, Edwards said he expects the Big Red Machine to continue to be a force to reckon with.

“Every time we step onto the basketball court or the softball field, or even the swimming pool, expect the Big Red Machine to compete to the fullest,” said Edwards, a 1998 graduate of SAC who went on to attend the University of Houston on an athletic scholarship as a triple jumper.

After graduating from UH in 2004, Edwards did a brief sting as a coach at Queen’s College. He joined the Big Red Machine staff in 2009.

“The biggest thing I learnt from Todd is that you can have all the Xs and Os, but it’s your ability to deal with people on the team,” Edwards said. “You could have the greatest players in any sport, but if you don’t know how to deal with personalities and you don’t put them in the right place, you won’t have much success.”

He could have easily stayed in banking where he was employed with Credit Suisse, but Saunders said when the opportunity presented itself for him to become a member of the Big Red Machine’s coaching staff, he couldn’t be concerned anymore about counting dollars and cents.

“Being a former SACer, I feel it’s a blessing to be the new coach at SAC,” he said. “I’m just trying to give back to SAC, future alumnus something that I got out of the programme when I was here here as a student athlete.”

Having graduated in 2007, Saunders went on to study at Lindenwood University where he finished in 2013. Even though he did his first year in banking, Saunders said it was a no brainer about moving into the coaching ranks.

“It was more or less a calling,” said Saunders, who follows in the footsteps of his father, Jason Saunders, a renowned volleyball coach. “I started coaching volleyball in the night league and when the opportunity presented itself when Mr John Todd retired, I felt like that was the right time to make the switch.

“So far it’s been going good. This is actually my first coaching day (with the junior softball team), so I will see how that goes. But I’m looking forward to being here and working with the coaching staff.”

As for his new immediate boss in Edwards, Saunders said he feels very confident that they can get the job done.

“He’s been here a little longer than me, so I am talking to him a lot, trying to get some of his experience as we go along,” Saunders said. “I hope my overall knowledge of all of the sports I played for SAC, except for soccer, will help me. I also learn a lot from the senior players in the various sports, so I hope that knowledge will help me as well.”

In the end, both Edwards and Saunders hope that the new transition that the Big Red Machine is going through will continue to make St Augustine’s College a powerhouse in the BAISS.