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Cordez Vaughn New Football Coach at Hazelwood West
Cordez Vaughn
The Hazelwood School District Board of Education approved the hiring of Cordez Vaughn as the new head football coach of Hazelwood West High School. Vaughn is a special education teacher at Hazelwood West. He has served as a varsity assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the team since January 2009.
“I am very excited about Cordez Vaughn being our new head football coach. He is full of passion for both the game and the kids as well. During the off season, he showed plenty of leadership skills and we are excited to see what the new season brings to Hazelwood West,” said Tim Williams, activities director at Hazelwood West High.
“He was the defensive coordinator last year and he also did the same at Gateway Tech for several years,” Williams continued. “I have no doubt in my mind that he will bring Hazelwood West to new levels. His hard work and passion will rub off on the kids as well as the coaching staff.”
Vaughn is looking forward to his new role. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to mentor young men, and instill the values of hard work, dedication, pursuit of excellence, having high expectations and the importance of getting an education. I want them to look at themselves as students first and athletes second,” he said.
His professional coaching experience began in 1996 as a graduate assistant coach and assistant defensive line coach at Southeast Missouri State University. He has held coaching positions at the University of Arkansas-Monticello and Gateway Institute of Technology High School in St. Louis.
In his career, Vaughn has coached notable players such as Sheldon Richardson, All-American, All-State, and Marquis Gray, All-State, both who play football at College of the Sequoias in California; and Julian Gray, All-State, who is at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
In high school, Vaughn was a defensive end and linebacker at Picayune Memorial High School in Mississippi and was named the team’s co-MVP in 1990. He played football at Pearl River Community College and Southeast Missouri State University. As a professional football player, he was a defensive end for the St. Louis Bulldogs, where he earned 2nd Team All North American Football League Honors in 2000. In 2003, he played the same position with the Show-Me Believers National Indoor Football team.
