Manatee High taps Matthew Bowling as next athletic director, replacing Danielle LaPoint
Manatee High’s athletic program has a new look.
The Hurricanes hired Matthew Bowling as its new athletic director Thursday. He replaces Danielle LaPoint. A press release announcing Bowling’s hiring made no mention of what happened with LaPoint.
Bowling’s role at Manatee High begins July 1. He’s currently the dean of students at Braden River High. He’s been with the Pirates since 2010. A Palmetto High graduate, Bowling has coached baseball and football in the area since 2006 and the name should be familiar to Manatee County high school fans.
His father, Bob, previously held the athletic director role at Palmetto High and then at Braden River after the school opened in the mid-2000s. Bob Bowling is a Manatee High graduate and also coached the Canes.
“I can’t express how honored and excited I am to have the opportunity to carry on the tradition of excellence at Manatee High.” Matthew Bowling said in a press release.
Former Braden River High principal Sharon Scarbrough, who was newly selected as Manatee High’s next principal, said in the press release that, “Matt is an extremely talented and hardworking administrator. His understanding of the community pride and years of tradition make him uniquely qualified to lead our athletic department and we hope this is the beginning of what will (be a) lasting relationship.”
The timing in the athletic director change comes after the Canes dismissed football coach Yusuf Shakir and replaced him with his offensive coordinator, Jacquez Green.
Green was given the interim head coaching tag, before the program announced they were shedding that label.
The reasons surrounding Shakir’s firing, which came after the Canes went 8-2 and reached the regional semifinal following a second district title in Shakir’s four seasons, were not answered when the Herald reached out to school officials in April.
