Brandon Walters resigns as head football coach at West St. John

One of the fine football coaches in the area has surprisingly stepped down from his job a month before the start of the 2021 season.

Brandon Walters has resigned at West St. John.

Walters served six years in charge of the Rams and 15 years overall as a prep head coach. He spent 16 years total at the school, coaching at West St. John after he previously served as an assistant coach at Lawless and Clark.

Walters graduated from McDonogh 35, where he played football before playing at Grambling under legendary coach Eddie Robinson, who largely shaped his coaching career.

In 2017, Walters guided the Rams to the Class 1A state championship, the first at West St. John in 13 years.

Overall, Walters posted a 43-32 record as the Rams played a very challenging schedule annually, playing up in classification frequently.

“I was ready to come home,” Walters said. “Talking it over with the family, it was time for me to move on. I’ve been in Edgard at West St. John for 17 years. I wanted to come back to the city. We’ve made a great mark there and we are leaving with everything in place and in good shape. This is best for my family. There was no pressure on me to leave.”

Walters certainly has no desire to depart coaching yet.

“I am not done as a coach,” Walters said. “I love high school football. I most certainly want to get back in and make a difference in the lives of young people. I’m looking forward to new challenges, what God has in store for me and I wish nothing but the best for the kids at West St. John. It is time to do something different.”

The school will begin the search for a new head coach immediately.