Michael Vite, a 27-year coaching veteran spending the last 14 of
those as a defensive coordinator, is in his first season as Head
Football Coach at The Apprentice School.
"We are truly excited to have Michael Vite on board as our
new Head Football Coach," said Athletic Director Keisha Pexton.
"Throughout the selection process, he has displayed a high degree
of professionalism and a strong dedicated interest in our
student-athletes total apprenticeship experience. We are truly
fortunate to have the talent and experience that he will bring to
our football program."
Vite joins the Builders after spending the last two seasons as
assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Guilford College
in Greensboro, N.C. In his first season at Guilford, the
defense reduced its points and yards allowed per game by nearly 20
percent from 2005. Last season after losing several key
performers to injuries at the start of the year, his defense was in
the top two in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in the second
half of the season.
"I just want to thank The Apprentice School and in particular
Phil Janaro and Keisha Pexton for the opportunity they're giving me
and my family to reach a goal of mine," said Vite. "I'm
looking forward to working with these young men and continuing the
foundation Coach Janaro has planted here."
"I would also like to thank my wife and immediate family for
backing me throughout the years to help me reach a dream of mine,"
he added.
"Michael Vite has a strong reputation in the coaching business as a
solid coach, an energetic recruiter and a quality human being,"
said Janaro. "He is well known for caring about his players
and getting the most out of them."
Vite spent the 2005 season at Morgan State University as the
defensive coordinator where two of his players were honored on the
second team All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference squad. He
held the same role at Bacone College in Oklahoma for the 2004
season where his Warriors ranked 9th in the NAIA in
rushing defense and 30th in total defense.
From 2001-03, Vite was the defensive coordinator at Murray State
University and helped the Racers to the 2002 Ohio Valley Conference
title and a NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth. His defensive
unit at Murray State in 2003 was ranked first in pass defense in
the OVC, fourth in Division I-AA and in total defense the Racers
were ranked 35th nationally.
Prior to that he served the 2000 season at Southern Illinois
University as the defensive coordinator where his unit was ranked
first in the conference and tenth in Division I-AA after being last
in 1999. He served for six seasons prior to Southern Illinois
at Southern University in Louisiana. While at Southern the
Jaguars won four Southwest Athletic Conference titles and were
twice named Black College National Champions (1995,1997). His
defensive units were ranked in the top 10 in Division I-AA in all
six of his years at Southern. He also coached at Wake Forest
University for three seasons working with the secondary and the
punt return team. While at Wake, the Deacons won the 1992
Independence Bowl and his punt return team was ranked in the top 20
nationally all three seasons.
A 1981 Hillsdale College graduate, Vite earned his bachelor's
degree in health and physical education and minored in
history. The native of Elkhart, In. won three football
letters as a running back and won the 1980 Great Lakes
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as a senior. He started
coaching at his alma mater in 1981 where Hillsdale advanced to the
NAIA semifinals.
Vite and his wife, Sandy, have two children, Jennie, 10, and
Michael, 12.
MATT LACY
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
This native of Texas starts his fourth season on the Builders'
staff and his first as offensive coordinator. Lacy joined the
Builders staff after coaching at Concordia Academy in St.
Paul, Mn., where he was assistant defensive coordinator and coached
the outside linebackers.
He served three years as the offensive line coach and now steps
into the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach position
for the 2008 season. Lacy played collegiately at Bethel College
(Mn.) and was a three-year member of the football team playing on
the defensive line and was a team captain.
Lacy and his wife of three years Rebecca have one son, Asher
Jordan.
RICH CLINE
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
One of two coaches who have coached with Vite, Rich Cline joins
the Builders after a season at McDaniel College where he coached
the inside linebackers. He will take the role of co-offensive
coordinator and coach the quarterbacks.
He coached with Vite at Guilford College where he was the
defensive line coach in 2006. At Guilford he coached
defensive tackle Mike Six to second team All-Old Dominion Athletic
Conference honors and honorable mention All-America honors as a
sophomore. Cline also coached Mario Paylor who finished
second in the ODAC in sacks that season.
Prior to his stint with the Quakers, Cline spent the 2005 season
coaching the defensive backs at Moravian, where he was a three-year
starter at linebacker. He is a native of Union Bridge, N.J. who
graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in religion in 2006.
PAUL HOFFMANN
Special Teams Coordinator
A head coach during the late 1980's and early 1990's, Hoffmann
is now in his seventh season as an assistant coach.
Hoffmann's teams had a 31-39-3 mark during his eight years as
head coach. In that period was a four year stretch of winning
seasons topped by the 1993 team that went 6-2-1, winning their
final six games and scoring 292 points. That total is the second
best in school history.
He has been involved with nearly 75 Apprentice School victories
in his coaching career and is in his third year of working with the
linebackers and on special teams. Hoffmann is a graduate of
The College of William & Mary where he was a starting offensive
tackle.
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Calvin Chester |
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Assistant Coach - WR
757-688-9454
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CALVIN CHESTER
Wide Receivers
A member of Apprentice School football teams in the early
2000's, Chester is in his fifth year of coaching the wide
receivers.
Chester, a Newport News native and Ferguson High graduate,
averaged 45 tackles per season in three years in the Builders'
backfield. He intercepted five passes in his career and was also a
threat as a return specialist. He is ranked in the
career top ten in all of the return categories (kickoff, punt,
interception and fumble).
Chester is a Structured On The Job trainer in the O26 department
at Northrop Grumman Newport News. He and his wife of a
year Kristie have three children: C.J. (2), Delayce Casper (7) and
Dominic Colligan (11).
HERB FIELDS
A member of Phil Janaro's football teams in his first tenure,
Fields currently serves as the Strength & Conditioning Coach
for Apprentice School athletics.
Fields, played linebacker from 1985-88 under Janaro and Norm
Snead, He was a standout on the 1988 team that finished 5-3 and had
a pair of shutouts to close the season.
Fields works in the refueling planner department during the
day. He is married and has one child.
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Aaron Wilson |
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Assistant Coach - Linebackers
757-534-4430
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AARON WILSON
Linebackers
A former linebacker under Vite at Bacone College, Wilson joined the
Builder staff to work with the linebackers.
This native of Tulsa, Ok., played for Coach Vite as a senior at
Bacone College in 2003. He graduated from the school in 2004
with a degree in Business with a Health and Physical Education
minor.
Wilson was an All-conference, leading tackler on the team for Vite
at Bacone College. They played for the conference title in
his senior season.
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Angelo Anderson |
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Assistant Coach - Defensive Line
757-688-4510
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ANGELO ANDERSON
Defensive Line
A former college assistant coach in South Carolina, Anderson joins
the Builder staff this season as defensive line coach.
Anderson, a native of Columbia, S.C., comes to the Builders
following a stint with the University of South Carolina as a
Defensive Video Assistant. Prior to that he coached two
seasons at NCAA Division II Benedict College as a defensive ends
and special teams coach. During that time his defense ranked
second in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference against
the run and special teams was third in kicking.
He and his wife Shellvona have three sons: Patrick (16), Daquan
(15) and Tyson (8). Anderson served three years in the Army
including a tour in "Desert Storm."
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Mike Harris |
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Assistant Coach - Secondary
757-688-4510
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MIKE HARRIS
Defensive Backs
Mike Harris joins the staff this year after serving at Guilford
College for four years as a student assistant. While at
Guilford, he helped with the secondary and served as the team's
video coordinator. He played for the Quakers as a defensive
back in 2001 before moving to coaching.
A native of Glen Arm, Md., he lettered twice for coach Mark
Lehman at Loch Raven High School and received the team's
sportsmanship and academic awards. Harris also lettered in
track and field in the weight events for Loch Raven's 2003 Maryland
1-A state championship team.
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Travis Reid |
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Assistant Coach - RB
757-688-5485
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TRAVIS REID
Running Backs
The most decorated receiver in Apprentice School history, Travis
Reid now joins the coaching staff to work with the running backs.
Reid, a Goose Creek, S.C. native, just completed a four-year career
with the Builders and holds virtually every receiving record for
the team. As a senior, he caught 71 passes for 1,049 yards
and 13 touchdowns which all were school single-season
records. He ended his career with 169 receptions for 2,895
yards and 33 touchdowns which are all career marks. Reid was
named ACFC Offensive Player of the Year as a senior.
He will graduate from The Apprentice School in February 2009 as an
electrician.
