Notes: Former Lions RB Jahvid Best now a high school head coach

A story that has been making the rounds on social media today thanks to a tweet by NFL Football Operations is that former Detroit Lions first-round pick Jahvid Best is now leading a high school program in California. He is officially the head coach of Saint Mary’s College High School.

After his retirement from the NFL due to injuries, the lightning-fast athlete continued to be involved in competitive sports in non-contact ways. He competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in track and field to run the 100m event, and participated in the American Flag Football League in 2018. Taking a head coaching job is an exciting new step for Best’s coaching career, building on a year of student assistant coaching in 2014 while finishing his degree and three years of coaching running backs and defense at his old high school Salesian Prep.

According to Evan Webeck in the Mercury Times, it was Best’s wife who paved the way for the former running back to become head coach at Salesian’s rival St. Mary’s:

It took a little luck to connect Best and St. Mary’s.

Best’s wife, Rachael Armstrong, was assisting with the St. Mary’s girls soccer team, Filson said, when she offered up the idea of of her husband possibly joining the football staff.

“I was just sitting on the sidelines one day and I didn’t really recognize him,” Filson said. “I said ‘Hey, how you doing?’ and he introduced himself. A couple days later, his wife came up and said, ‘If there’s ever a head coaching position, he’d be interested.”

Best said his wife knew the position was open before he did.

“I guess you could say she’s my agent now,” he joked. “They called, and I jumped on it because it’s exactly what I was looking for.”

Per Mitch Stephens in the San Francisco Chronicle, the former Cal Golden Bear and Detroit Lion is looking to guide his student-athletes to success both on and off the field: “It’s all about the culture,” (Best) said. “I want to create an environment that is about learning and growing, about the value of work ethic and dedication.” Lions fans have fond memories of the exciting moments he brought us, so we all hope coach Best finds much success at St. Mary’s.

Now, on to the rest of today’s Notes:

• So, the Detroit Lions have this guy Swift who is pretty good catching the ball out of the backfield. Let’s hear what Steve Sarkisian from Alabama has to say about these things:

• Yesterday, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn held one of the media sessions. Justin Rogers at the Detroit News focused on Glenn’s comments related to developing the young players he has in the secondary, especially Jeff Okudah and Tracy Walker.

• QB4:

• Former Lions coaches update:

• Super fun throwback film clip: here’s the Detroit Lions’ current wide receivers coach running the triple option in an NFL game as a player.

• At the end of the 1980s, Eddie Murray shows up in this all-time scoring leaders timeline graphic. Jason Hanson enters in the early 2000s and passes Murray in the mid-2000s: