By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Ruston High is no longer without a defensive coordinator.
On Thursday afternoon, Bearcat head football coach Jerrod Baugh confirmed the addition of Marcus Yanez, who will join the staff after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Mangham High School Dragons for the past two seasons.
“Marcus has a really good reputation in the coaching world, particularly in North Louisiana,” Baugh said. “With his experience of being a defensive coordinator and a head coach, he understands what it takes to develop programs. Being able to bring those dynamics to us, to me it was a no-brainer (to hire Yanez).”
Yanez spoke with the LPJ Thursday afternoon and expressed his excitement for coming to Ruston.
“It’s a great opportunity to come to Ruston High School and knowing the tradition Ruston has,” Yanez said. “It truly is an honor to be put in this position. I’m looking forward to the opportunity – it doesn’t get much higher as far as the level of football than Ruston High School. I’m privileged and honored to be part of this family.”
Baugh announced his intentions to add Yanez to the staff last week.
“We have plenty of guys on our staff who already know Marcus, and it’s been taken well,” Baugh said. “That will make the transition for Marcus onto our coaching staff that much easier. And I know our kids love Coach (Kyle) Williams and hated to see him go, but Marcus is going to come in and develop his own relationship with those kids. That part will help ease the loss of Williams from our staff.”
Yanez’s defenses at Mangham helped get the Dragons to the quarterfinals for the past two seasons in the playoffs. Baugh said his new coordinator is likely going to run a similar style that the programs has been accustomed to during Williams’ tenure: a 4-2-5 base defense with four linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs.
“Coach Baugh and Coach Williams have both done a great job of building the program and the defense starting in the middle schools,” Yanez said. “I think that is very important in order to have the level of success Ruston has had. My plan is to have continuity for (returning and incoming players). Coach Williams has done such a fantastic job, and at the same time, I’m looking forward to having my fingerprint on the Bearcat defense.”
Prior to his Mangham tenure, Yanez was named the head coach of the Richwood Rams back in 2019. After three seasons, Yanez posted the first winning season for Richwood in 2022 following the Rams’s run to the 3A state championship game in 2017.
A Bastrop High School graduate from the class of 2000, Yanez signed as a linebacker at Louisiana State University before transferring to Grambling State in 2001.
See Yanez’s full coaching history below.
- Mangham High School-Defensive Coordinator/Strength & Conditioning (2023-Present)
- Richwood High School-Athletics Director/Head Football Coach (2019-2022)
- Ouachita Parish High School-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach (2017-2018)
- Bastrop High School-Head Football Coach (2016)
- Ouachita Parish High School-Linebackers Coach (2014-2015)
- Bastrop High School-Defensive Coordinator (2011/2013) Linebackers Coach (2007-2010)
- General Trass High School-Athletics Director/Head Football Coach (2012)
- Jackson High School-Defensive Coordinator (2006)
- Grambling State University-Defensive Graduate Assistant (2005)
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