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Watch Abbeville High School girls basketball coach Rhonda McCullough work on the sidelines during the past 16 years, and it would be difficult not to notice the passion with which she coaches.
As involved as she's been in basketball from her prep days at Pitkin, to a collegiate career at UL, to 14 years on the bench at Carencro and
the past two at Abbeville, it may be hard for some to believe that coaching basketball was never McCullough's career goal.
From the beginning, her plan was to coach basketball for a few years and then enter athletic adminstration with the goal of being a women's athletic director at a Division I university.
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070531/SPORTS/705310305/1006" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Kevin Foote
kfoote@theadvertiser.com
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It took about a decade longer than expected, but McCullough's hoping to finally live out her aspirations as one of the four finalists to fill the LHSAA's vacant assistant commissioner position.
The other three finalists are McDonogh 35 girls basketball coach Danielle Lewis, Carroll principal Don Green and Carencro principal Annette Rath.
The recommendation by LHSAA commissioner-elect Kenny Henderson will be made during the LHSAA's executive committee summer meeting June 5-8 in Springfield.
"Athletic adminstration wasn't offered as a curriculum at either school (UL, McNeese State),'' McCullough said. "I was thinking I'd coach at Carencro for four or five years and then coach at the collegiate level. But 14 years later, I was still at Carencro.''
That stint at Carencro, however, ended up helping McCullough in her quest of one day landing an administrative position. While there, football coach Mac Barousse gave her the title of "Game Day Administrator,'' which involved building relationships with coaches and principals from across the state.
"It's no secret that football coaches have a large voice in this state,'' McCullough said. "I wouldn't have had that opportunity to build professional relationships with so many coaches around the state if Mac hadn't given me that opportunity.''
That was just the beginning. McCullough coached and coordinated all-star basketball games during the summer, and was annually involved in behind-the-scenes duties at both the Sweet 16 and the Top 28 events over the past 15 years. She was secretary, treasurer, vice president and then president of the association high school basketball coaches.
During those travels, she developed an appreciation for the LHSAA and its procedures.
"The one person that really influenced me was (assistant commissioner) Mac Chauvin,'' she said. "I've been able to see how they operate. He's very fair and very consistent. He holds coaches accountable. I gained an appreciation for what they do and how the whole thing operates.''
Another major step in her resume came this past season when McCullough became the assistant principal on top of basketball coach at Abbeville.
"It's definitely been interesting,'' McCullough said. "It's been quite an experience. No matter what happens, there are some things at Abbeville that I'm in the process of developing that I will always hold close to me.''
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