Published: July 08, 2009 08:43 am      

Wood takes fast-pitch softball, assistant FB job at EHS

The question was an obvious one.

Why would a person resign as the head football coach at perennial high school power Weir — the proud home of seven Class 1A State Championships — to take the job as head fast-pitch softball coach and assistant football coach at neighboring Ethel?

Jim Wood's answer was simple and straight forward.

"For eight years every decision I made was based on what was best for Weir," he said on Monday morning. "It was time to make a decision that was best for my family."

Wood, who officially turned in his resignation at Weir on Monday, was approved for his new positions at Ethel last Thursday by the Attala County School Board.

While noting that he enjoyed his time at Weir, Wood said that it had become so consuming that he was afraid it was going to detract from what was most important to him — his family.

"My children aren't going to be kids forever," he said. "I want to be able to see them grow up. It was time for me to take a more active part in their lives."

Wood and his wife Jenny are the parents of three Children — 9-year-old twins Hayes and Halea, who will turn 10 on July 30 — and 13-month old Sadie Kate.

Wood joined the Weir coaching staff eight years ago as an assistant and was head coach the past two seasons. Those squads went 21-5, including a 12-2 record in 2007.

The 37-year-old said he has not lost his aspiration to be a head football coach one day, but said Ethel was the place for he and his family at this time.

"There are going to be coaching jobs as long as there are schools," he said. "They aren't going to run out."

While Wood will be changing school districts, his wife and children are not. His wife is a counselor at Greenlee, an elementary school in the Attala School District, where both of his older children attend.

"We talked to them about the change and they were excited," he said. "They didn't want to leave their friends or change schools."

He said he was looking forward to both coaching the girls fast-pitch softball team, as well as joining Ethel head coach Paul Dees' staff as defensive coordinator.

Wood said he was looking forward to enjoying his new positions.

"For work not to seem like work, it needs to be fun," he said. "That's what I think this will be for me."

Wood is not inexperienced in either of his new coaching positions.

He helped with the fast-pitch team at Weir the past two seasons and served as defensive coordinator at Weir for the two seasons before he was named head coach.

"Aw man, I'm tickled," Dees said. "We have been talking about it for awhile and for it to come to realization is just great."

Dees said Ethel was getting more than just a good coach.

"This is big for our school and our community," he said. "He is a top character person. He has football knowledge, but he brings a lot more than just that with him."

Officials at Weir could not be reached for comment. It is not known when a new head football coach would be officially announced at the Choctaw County school.