Coach Bo Daniels laying groundwork for Golden Tornadoes

Bo Daniels knows championships aren’t built during the first week of practice.

They’re built one standard at a time.

That’s why the Monroe High School alumnus has spent his first months as the Golden Tornadoes’ new head football coach focusing less on wins and losses and more on creating the culture he believes will eventually return the program to prominence.

“When you’re coming as the new head coach, you have to start from the ground up,” Daniels said. “You have to work with the players, the parents and the coaching staff to get everybody on the same page.

“So we’ve been working to set the foundation for Monroe football where everybody is all in, where there are no excuses and where everybody is willing to make the sacrifices needed to build a winning team. We are focused on setting the standard for the team — the coaches and the players.”

Daniels returned to his alma mater earlier this spring after serving on Corey Joyner’s coaching staff at Westover, where he earned a reputation coaching the defensive line. Now, he takes over a Monroe program with the challenge of building not only a football team, but a culture.

The transition to his first head coaching position has been steady, Daniels said, because his expectations have remained consistent from the day he arrived.

“I haven’t had any real surprises or things that caught me off guard,” he said. “Things come up and you just work through it. You can’t catch me off guard if you lean on your standards and your rules.”

Daniels quickly assembled a coaching staff that shares his philosophy.

He brought in veteran assistant Ceceil Lester to direct the offense, praising his ability to maximize the talent available.

“He has experience doing a lot with a little,” Daniels said.

On defense, Daniels turned to Roscoe Byrd as his defensive coordinator. Byrd brings collegiate coaching experience from Benedict College and Savannah State.

“He pays attention to details,” Daniels said. “That will make a difference.”

While Daniels has emphasized establishing expectations throughout the program, he is counting on several returning players to lead by example. Quarterback Jordyn Shorter, Kohlin Brownlee, Jayvin Range, Arzoreion Bryant and Isaiah Rivers have emerged as leaders throughout the offseason.

At the same time, Daniels believes Monroe’s future is bright as a talented sophomore class continues to push for playing time.

“The future of Monroe football is looking very bright,” he said.

The Golden Tornadoes will get their first game action in an Aug. 7 scrimmage against Mitchell County before opening the regular season Aug. 28 against Class 7A powerhouse Colquitt County in Moultrie.

The challenging schedule doesn’t concern Daniels as much as making sure Monroe plays the way he expects.

“It doesn’t matter who we play,” he said. “We’ve got to be Monroe. It doesn’t matter what the scheme is or who the defender is, you’ve got to do things the right way every time. We’ve got to go and be fundamentally sound and be organized in what we are doing.”

As he begins his first season leading the program he once called home, Daniels said the response from the Monroe community has reinforced that he isn’t building alone.

“Our alumni are just amazing,” he said. “They have been donating and helping. We’ve got amazing people in our community. We’ve also gotten tremendous support from the school administration — Mrs. (Lawanna) Johnson. It’s just been excellent.”

For Daniels, the early months have been about establishing standards that he hopes will define Monroe football long after this season. The wins, he believes, will follow a program committed to discipline, accountability and doing things the right way.