Jolley appears to be new Tiger football coach

Nobody wants to talk.

It's the first tell-tale sign that something is in the works, when lips tighten up and information is the hardest to come by.

It's one of those things they teach you in journalism school.

Nobody at Nevada High School will say anything.

A call to principal Bryan Thomsen was met with the customary, "it's a personnel issue and I can't talk about it."

But he didn't -- said he couldn't talk about it at all -- deny that Nevada had offered the football coaching job to somebody, and that the particular somebody in question had accepted.

Nonetheless, it appears that the next football coach of the Nevada Tigers is going to be Shannon Jolley.

Thomsen seemed to know who I was talking about when the name came up, but his hands (and mouth) are tied. That's fine, he has a job to do and so do I.

The name was first discovered on the message boards at MoSports.com, and since the job listings that were up for the job have been taken down, it's obvious that the position has been filled, pending school board approval.

I realize that the name Jolley itself probably doesn't mean much to most Nevada fans. I had never heard of him, but I wouldn't pretend to be a lifelong expert on Missouri high school football.

I don't know why he's coming, I don't now how he got the job, I don't know why he's leaving his current gig, but I do know a little about his credentials, which are fairly impressive.

Jolley spent 2006 as an assistant coach at infamous Jefferson City High School.

The Jays went 7-5, losing in the Class 6 state semifinals to eventual state champion Blue Springs South.

Jolley was the special teams coach there, part of a super staff that included two other former head coaches in an obvious attempt by Jeff City to recapture glory of years past.

But 2006 was Jolley's only one with the largest school in the state.

From 2001-2005, Jolley was the head coach at School of the Osage. A class 3 school that is slightly smaller in enrollment than Nevada, Osage went 24-28 in Jolley's five years there. But the overall record hardly tells the story.

In Jolley's first two seasons at Osage, the Indians were 1-19. That means the final three years of Jolley's tenure, Osage was 23-9.

The Indians went 6-4 Jolley's third season with the school. They were 8-3 in 2004, winning the district before falling to eventual state champion Harrisonville in the state sectionals.

His final year in Osage, the Indians were 9-2, again losing the sectional game to Harrisonville.

That means the Indians got better every year Jolley was at the helm. And it's not like he left the program with an empty chest. The Indians were 8-3 this season, losing in the sectionals to Owensville, who finished second in the state.

That means Jolley built a successful program at Osage, where one hadn't been, and left it in great shape. I'd say three consecutive district titles is as great a shape as you can expect.

Nevada hasn't won a district title in football since 1998.

Heck, Nevada's only had one winning season since then, going 6-4 in 2002.

I haven't talked to Jolley yet, calls and e-mails sent to his place of employment as a P.E. teacher at Jeff City High were not yet returned this morning. I have no idea what his aspirations are, or how long he plans on being in Nevada.

But if he can give Nevada four or five quality years, turning them into a school on the same level as Osage, the hire is worthwhile.