[4/23/04]Curtis Brewer, the longest tenured assistant coach at Warren Central was promoted to interim head coach Thursday and will lead the team through the 2004 season, said Butch Newman, administrative assistant to James Price, the Vicksburg Warren School District superintendent.

The district will not advertise for a new full-time coach until Dec. 6, the Monday after the Class 5A state championship game.

“I’m proud to be a Viking and I hope I can do what’s best for the Vikings,” said Brewer, who has been leading spring workouts since Monday.

Newman said the fact that the position came open so close to the beginning of spring practice, and most schools already have coaches in place is why the search will not begin until December.

A screening committee will set up interviews between Jan. 10 and 14, and an interview committee will begin interviewing prospective coaches on Jan. 18.

A recommendation for the new coach will be made at the Jan. 27 school board meeting.

Brewer, the team’s assistant head coach in charge of the defense, was promoted after the surprise retirement by longtime coach Robert Morgan one week ago. Morgan had coached the team since 1985, and Brewer was been a main cog in Morgan’s system.

Brewer said last week that he planned on pursuing the full-time head coaching job whenever the time was right. Morgan’s two other longtime assistants, Larry Tyrone and Rick Graham, would not say whether they would pursue the future opening.

“I would say that I would interview for it,” Brewer said one week ago. “I have to. Then I will let them decide what they want to do.”

Warren Central has not had to look for a head coach since 1984 when Lum Wright resigned his post. He went on to a Hall of Fame coaching career, while one of his assistants, Morgan, was promoted to head coach.

Over the last 19 years, the Vikings have set the bar for football success in Mississippi. They have won two state championships and reached the playoffs a state record 19 times in a row.

The Vikings won the Region 2-5A championship a season ago before losing in the first round of the playoffs. Several players, including Vicksburg Post Offensive Player of the Year Larry Warner, will return next season.

The Vikings will finish spring practice on May 6 with a game at Northwest Rankin. The regular season begins on Aug. 29 in the Red Carpet Bowl.