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GWOC in need of football coaches

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer 7:30 PM Monday, November 28, 2011

The Greater Western Ohio Conference football programs at West Carrollton, Springfield and Troy have at least one thing in common: All are in need of varsity head coaches.

Rob Berger resigned last week as West Carrollton’s main man. On Monday, Andy Taylor announced that he won’t return at Springfield after just one season. Previously, longtime Troy coach Steve Nolan also resigned.

That means at least one new varsity football coach will be in place next season in all three GWOC divisions.

West Carrollton was hardest hit. Besides losing Berger after three seasons, the Pirates also must replace former assistants Alex Lewis, Scott Helter and Mike Sunderhaus (defensive coordinator). All three expressed their intentions not to return for various personal reasons before the season ended.

“It wasn’t some kind of joint walkaway,” said WC Athletic Director Rob Dement.

The Pirates were 3-7 this season, their last as an independent before joining the GWOC South next season. West Carrollton was 8-3 and qualified for the Division II playoffs in Berger’s first season. A 1-9 campaign in 2010 followed.

He wouldn’t rule out coaching again. He’s taught in the West Carrollton school district for 13 years and also has coached basketball.

“It just wasn’t meant to be,” he said. “It’ll be a good opportunity for the next coach to take that (GWOC) challenge.”

Whoever gets the Pirates job will eventually be handicapped. The recent school levy failure has resulted in the cancellation of all middle school sports beginning next fall. That won’t affect the Wee Pirates program, but will mean there will be no school football for grades seven and eight.

It’s not just the loss of those two critical years of development that will affect the Pirates’ program. Schools often lose potential players by transfer or a change of residency when sports are yanked at any level.

Dement said he hopes to have a new head coach in place after the holidays. Helter will remain the Pirates’ head baseball coach.

Taylor, previously an assistant at Springfield in 2009, landed the Wildcats’ head job just five weeks before the season opener. The job opened last spring when former coach Rick Robertson left to become the head coach at Oakwood.

The Wildcats advanced to the D-I, Region 3 playoffs under Robertson in 2009-10, but slipped to 2-8 under Taylor. A punishing nonconference schedule didn’t help.

“There were clearly ups and downs,” said Taylor, previously the head coach at Greeneview.

“I wish it could’ve gone different.”

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