After two-month search, Hurricanes have their football coach: Yusuf Shakir

Yusuf Shakir remembers how polite Manatee High athletic director Danielle LaPoint and the rest of the staff were. It was 2015, and the Hurricanes were unveiling their new JumboTron scoreboard.

Shakir was the head coach of Tallahassee Lincoln at the time.

On Thursday, he was named Manatee’s first African-American head coach, a fact that made quite an impression on Shakir.

“It means a lot to me, because of the guys who wanted to be coaches before me and who couldn’t during those times when it just wasn’t allowed,” Shakir said in a phone interview with the Herald on Thursday. “This is the second time I’m doing this. I was the first black head coach at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee.”

Shakir, 39, plans to meet with the Manatee High players for the first time next Wednesday

Shakir led St. Petersburg Gibbs into the playoffs for the first time in three years when he took over the Gladiators in 2007. After two seasons at Gibbs, Shakir spent the next eight seasons at his alma mater, Lincoln.

The Trojans won the Class 4A state title in 2010, and in 2012 they were runners-up in 7A to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. Shakir racked up a 68-31 record over his eight seasons there, although Lincoln failed to win more than six games in each of his last two seasons.

Those things were appealing to LaPoint.

“Being able to develop a program, I think, speaks a lot about a coach,” LaPoint said.

The high-profile aspect of Manatee’s football program, which has won five state championships since its inception in 1914, made the coaching vacancy an appealing proposition for Shakir.

Shakir, though, didn’t apply right away. He resigned as Lincoln’s head coach in March to pursue other opportunities, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Those opportunities, Shakir said, were in college coaching.

But as Manatee’s search, which started a few weeks before spring practice began in April, continued, Shakir applied earlier this week.

On Wednesday, he visited the school and an offer was made, Shakir said.

He then took a night to sleep on it before the school announced his hiring on Thursday.

“Manatee is one of those jobs, you’re a head coach there — you’re on equal standard with some colleges,” Shakir said.

The coaching search lasted nearly two months and included about 130 applicants. Cardinal Mooney head coach Drew Lascari, who was one of five finalists, withdrew from consideration prior to Thursday’s announcement.

The school did not release the names of the other finalists.

“It definitely was a longer process than anticipated, but we got the end result that we wanted,” LaPoint said. “So we’re happy with it.”

Shakir takes over a program that reached the playoffs in all three seasons under former head coach John Booth, who exited after last Friday’s spring game loss to last year’s Class 6A state runner-up, Lakeland Lake Gibson.

Booth said he left for financial reasons and is taking a financial adviser’s position with Edward Jones following the school year.

LaPoint said Shakir will teach a computer lab course in addition to his role as the program’s fourth head coach since 1981.

Shakir’s eight seasons at Lincoln included that 2015 game at Manatee, where the Trojans ended the Canes’ 30-game home winning streak with a 24-21 victory. Shakir’s first season at Lincoln resulted in a brief suspension for driving under the influence in 2009, though that charge was lessened to reckless driving.

Shakir also played three seasons at Lincoln from 1994-96 as a standout linebacker before two years at the University of Wisconsin and two more at Western Illinois as a safety.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "After two-month search, Hurricanes have their football coach: Yusuf Shakir."