“It’s like a homecoming for me,” said Bonifay, who previously was an assistant at Stebbins for four seasons with former Indians head coaches Jason Krause and Brian Conner.
Bonifay's hiring marks at least the third new head coach in the Greater Western Ohio Conference for this coming season. Smitherman resigned following last season to succeed Bob DeLong at Xenia. Besides Stebbins and Xenia, West Carrollton also has promoted longtime assistant Derek Hauk to succeed Doug Hatcher, who was not retained after three seasons.
The coaching change also is at least the second for the 2017 season in the Ohio Heritage Conference. Besides a new Southeastern coach, John Wooten has succeeded Kevin Ferguson at Greenon. The Knights jump from the Central Buckeye Conference to the OHC this fall
It’s a major conference and divisional jump for Bonifay and also continues a significant GWOC coaching turnover. Eight of the 20 GWOC football coaches will have been in place for two seasons or less this coming season.
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A rural program in South Charleston (Clark County), Southeastern is a Division VII team, the smallest. The Trojans were 3-7 last season and 34-66 during Bonifay’s 10 seasons, which is tied for the longest coaching run in program history. Bonifay’s best team was in 2009 when the Trojans (9-3) lost to Fort Loramie in the second round of the playoffs, the last time Southeastern qualified for the postseason.
A D-II program, Stebbins was 3-7 last season, its first in the GWOC after jumping from the CBC along with Tippecanoe. Stebbins has never qualified for the playoffs.
A Miamisburg grad, Bonifay, 40, played collegiately at Wilmington. Currently a Southeastern Local Schools teacher, he hopes to land a teaching position with the Mad River School District this fall.
“One of the hardest things I had to do was tell those (Southeastern) kids I was leaving,” he said. “Like I explained to them, I expect all my players to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and this was one of them for me. It was one of those situations that just felt right. I’m excited for this opportunity.”
2017 FOOTBALL COACHING CHANGES
Arcanum: T.J. Powers was not retained after five seasons.
Badin: Nick Yordy succeeds Bill Tenore, who was not retained after eight seasons.
Greenon: John Wooten succeeds Kevin Ferguson, who resigned after three seasons.
Ross: Kenyon Commins was promoted to succeed Brian Butts, who was not retained after 11 seasons.
Southeastern: Greg Bonifay resigned after 10 seasons to succeed Trace Smitherman at Stebbins.
Stebbins: Bonifay succeeds Smitherman.
Urbana: Carleton Cotner succeeds Jon Daniels, who resigned after two seasons.
West Carrollton: Derek Hauk succeeds Doug Hatcher, who was not retained after three seasons.
Xenia: Smitherman succeeds Bob DeLong, who resigned after eight seasons.
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