Manatee High football players react to Yusuf Shakir’s hiring

Shocked, excited and relieved.

Those were the three most common reactions from Manatee High football players on Thursday.

Through Manatee’s social media accounts, players learned they were getting a new head coach: former Tallahassee Lincoln head coach Yusuf Shakir.

“I was pretty surprised, I wasn’t expecting it (Thursday),” defensive back Sir Williams said. “I was expecting it a little later, but I’m excited to have one and relieved. Pretty sure everyone else is.”

The 39-year-old Shakir is Manatee High’s first African-American head football coach. The school began playing football in 1914.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Williams said. “It’s just exciting.”

Rising junior running back Keyon Fordham added: “That’s very cool to have an African-American coach.”

The announcement completed a nearly two-month search, which yielded close to 130 applicants that was whittled down to five finalists.

Two rising sophomores, quarterback Ryan Overstreet and kicker Axel Lepvreau, were both stunned at Thursday’s announcement.

“It was crazy, because we’ve been sitting through this process without really no knowledge of what’s going on,” Overstreet said. “We had a meeting the other day and were expecting them to announce the new coach and they didn’t. ... Then all of a sudden, it got released (Thursday) and a little bit of a shocker, because it’s gotten to the point where you’re not even expecting it that much anymore.”

Lepvreau added: “I thought we were getting the new head coach on Monday, so I was a bit confused. But I was happy when I learned (Thursday) that they finally found a new head coach for next season.”

For Shakir, choosing the Hurricanes as his next stop came after interviewing for the job this week and receiving an offer following an on-campus visit on Wednesday.

“I fell in love with the place, and everything about it,” Shakir told the Herald in a phone interview.

Shakir’s past success at Lincoln, where he won a state championship in 2010 and reached the state title game in 2012, gives the players confidence moving forward.

“It adds a little extra, but we still have the same goal as we had last year: get to the state championship,” Williams said.

The players are set to have their first meeting with Shakir next Wednesday, and Overstreet said he wants to see what Shakir wants to bring to the program.

“And how he wants to help us all out, and what the expectations are,” Overstreet said.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 7:22 PM with the headline "Manatee High football players react to Yusuf Shakir’s hiring."