By T. Scott Boatright
GRAMBLING — The Glen Hall Era of Lincoln Prep Panthers football is over.
Now the big question is who do the Panthers turn to next?
Hall’s successor(s) could be on the school’s football staff already.
On Tuesday, Lincoln Preparatory School Chief Academic Officer Crystal Washington, who took over as head of the school in January after former executive director Gordan Ford, one of the founders of the school, left the school for another occupational role in Washington D.C., issued a statement on her reasoning for relieving Hall after he had served as the Panthers head coach since the school opened in 2016.
Washington told Hall he had been relieved of those duties Monday morning.
“As always, our priority remains providing a high-quality education for our students while making difficult financial decisions to ensure long-term stability,” Washington’s statement read. “We are indebted to Coach Hall’s impact as the Chief Operations Officer/Dean of Students/Athletic Director/Head Football Coach and are incredibly proud of the young men who have matriculated through his football program over the years.
“However, in response to budget constraints, we have carefully evaluated our resources to protect core educational programs and student services. While these adjustments have led to changes in staffing, we are working to minimize the direct impact on teachers and instructional programs. Transparency has been central to this process, and we are committed to keeping the community informed about the financial realities we face and the reasoning behind these decisions.”
Washington’s statement indicated she could be willing to listen to concerns as well as suggestions about the Lincoln Prep football team and the school’s overall athletics department, because Hall also served as the school’s athletics director.
“We understand that these changes affect many individuals,” Washington’s statement continued. “We welcome input as we navigate these challenges together and remain dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our students and staff. We will release the names of the Interim Head Coach and Athletic Director after meeting with the team this week.”
The Lincoln Parish Journal suggests two solid candidates could already be on the school’s campus.
Panthers basketball coach Antonio Hudson has coached basketball at the school since it opened. The former Grambling Laboratory High School and LSU hoops product has led the Lincoln Prep boys basketball to the state’s Final Four Marsh Basketball Tournament four straight times.
That feat alone, let alone the fact that accomplishing it takes much planning and coordinating not only on the court but also off, not to mention he is already the school’s current assistant athletics director, seemingly makes him a more than solid choice to make the step up to become not only the school’s interim, but even permanent, A.D.
The Panthers football team had a new coach join them last season as Johnathan Brantley came from Centenary College, where served as Secondary/Special Teams Coordinator for the Gents during its first season of modern-day play after reviving the long-dormant program in 2023.
Brantley’s coaching career began in 2004 at Grambling State, where he served as a standout defensive back before having his playing career cut short due to injury.
In 2005, Brantley coached safeties at Grambling State, helping lead the G-Men to Southwestern Athletic Conference and Black College National championships.
He also served at McMurry University in Texas in 2017.
But Brantley also has four years of experience as a high school head football coach, serving in that role at Capitol High School in Baton Rouge in 2022, Madison Parish School for two years and Ringgold High for one.
Brantley also served as an assistant coach at Bastrop High for four years and for three years on a consulting basis as a special teams analyst for Louisiana Tech.
So, as a new era begins for Lincoln Prep athletics, maybe already having key pieces in place could lead to a smooth transition for the school and maybe more importantly, its current students.
The Journal feels there’s a strong possibility that could be the best move for all right now.
