Merced College will keep its football program in familiar hands. For this fall, anyway.</p><p>Longtime assistant Bob Casey will be the sixth head football coach in the school's history -- and its third in as many years.</p><p>Athletic director Steve Cassady made the announcement Monday, just days after former head coach Mark Kaanapu suddenly and shockingly accepted a position with the Portland State Vikings. </p><p>Casey is the new Merced College football coach.</p><p>"It's going to be interesting. It was a surprise for everyone," Casey said of Kaanapu's departure one week shy of fall camp.</p><p>"The opportunity to be a head coach is exciting. Obviously, you want it on your own terms, but right now, our biggest focus is keeping the kids on schedule and moving forward."</p><p>Cassady confirmed rumors July 29 that Kaanapu had bolted after just one year to become the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator for the Vikings, a Division-I Football Championship Subdivision program that competes in the Big Sky conference.</p><p>The school said it would make a decision Monday after mulling its options. But, according to Cassady, there weren't many.</p><p>Casey's familiarity with the program, the players and the administration made him "the obvious choice," Cassady said.</p><p>The Blue Devil alum (1994-95) has been on staff at Merced College since 2004. He also serves as the head coach of the track and field program.</p><p>"He has all the experience and attributes of a head coach except one, which is experience -- and he'll get that in a hurry," Cassady said. "He's well versed in all the duties, from recruiting to academic monitoring to sports administration.</p><p>"He was the obvious choice. When you have to make a fast move, you only hope there is someone in your midst who knows everything you're doing so you can have a seamless transition. He was and he is. It wasn't a complicated deliberation."</p><p>It's unclear whether Casey's title is permanent. Cassady only confirmed that Casey would be the head coach for the upcoming fall season.</p><p>"He's our football coach for the 2010 season," Cassady said. "Beyond that, we haven't given it much thought."</p><p>Neither has Casey, who spent the weekend counseling players, mostly befuddled sophomores.</p><p>"I would assume they'll (the administration) take care of all that," he said. "Right now, let's get through the fall and the season and make the most of this opportunity. I'll let that stuff take care of itself."</p><p>Casey's tenure starts in earnest with a football conditioning course scheduled to begin Thursday. Merced College's first game is at home against San Joaquin Delta Sept. 11.</p><p>There won't be any changes to the coaching staff. Casey will retain assistants Justin Pinasco (defensive coordinator), Raven Keene (linebackers), Tom McFadden (defensive backs), Tony Lewis (defensive backs), Tony Dossetti (defensive line), Matt Esquivel (offensive line) and Joe D'Agostino (offensive coordinator).</p><p>D'Agostino is a Kaanapu disciple, but has agreed to remain with the program.</p><p>Casey still needs to fill a few positions on the offensive side of the ball.</p><p>No stranger to coaching football in the college ranks, Casey will experience his first gig as a head football coach. He served in several capacities -- student assistant, coordinator and even sports information director -- at Huron University in South Dakota for seven years before returning to Merced in 2004.</p><p>Since then, he's assisted Lewis, who resigned following the 2008 season, and Kaanapu, molding the offensive lines.</p><p>"The practice, the way you do paperwork, the way things need to be done -- I've been through the process," Casey said. "I've dealt with it when Mark transitioned to the job. That stuff is not that far-fetched. It should stay right on par.</p><p>"Position coach-wise, with the exception of Coach K, there's really no change. There's no change because there's not enough time to reinvent the wheel."