DELAND, Fla. -- Daytona Beach Thunder assistant coach Chad Rhodes will lead the start-up process for a football team at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Deland for the fall 2006 season.

Rhodes, who handles wide receivers and quarterbacks for the American Indoor Football League expansion team, has also served as an assistant coach at three local high schools -- Deland, Atlantic and New Smyrna Beach. This will be his first head coaching assignment.

"The money and support is in place, so it's going to work," Rhodes said. "It's always exciting to be involved from the ground up."

The Thunder organization is supportive of Rhodes' appointment.

"We're very excited for and proud of Chad,'' said Thunder Owner/CEO Zack McDonald. "This is an extension of the Thunder's vision of providing the opportunity to participate in the great game of football. We wish Chad all the success and also remind him that if his team needs a bus for an out-of-town game, we have one [the team's 45-foot sleeper coach] available at a very reasonable rate."

"Chad loves the game and he loves teaching the game," Bryson said. "He's a perfect fit on the high school level."

Lighthouse Christian will play in the recently created Class 1B, the smallest classification in Florida. Another nearby school, South Daytona Warner Christian, came within one game of playing for that classification's state championship in 2005.