The official resignation of Kosciusko High School head football coach Kelly Causey on Monday morning has school officials scrambling to start the search for what will be the school’s seventh head football coach in 10 years.
On Tuesday afternoon, Kosciusko Superintendent Billy Ellzey, high school Principal Lee Coats and Director of Athletics Macy Wilbanks held a preliminary meeting to plan the application process for those interested in the position.
Wilbanks said the application will be made available on the school website beginning on Dec. 2, with an application closing date of Dec. 18. She noted that —while the district will advertise the opening in multiple ways — candidates contacting school officials about the job will be directed to the website, and that the website will be the only means of applying for the position.
Rumors began to circulate about Causey’s impending resignation Friday and were confirmed by both Causey and Wilbanks when contacted by The Star-Herald Saturday afternoon. Causey turned in his official resignation on Monday, with an effective date of Nov 20. Wilbanks noted that Causey’s resignation was for his head coaching position only and that he currently remains an employee at the school.
On Saturday afternoon, Causey told The Star-Herald that after meeting with Ellzey Friday morning, he made the decision to step down and informed his team of that decision later that day.
“In my time as head coach, we have accomplished the three main goals set before us when I was hired,” Causey said in a prepared written statement.
Those three goals according to Causey’s statement were to “Establish strong discipline, strong academics, and to upkeep and improve the fields and facilities.”
During Causey’s three years at the helm of the football program, the Whippets were 9-25, qualifying for the MHSAA Class 4A State football playoffs each year.
“I am very proud that we played in the playoffs all three years while competing in a district that has produced the last two state champions in 4A,” Causey said.
Since 2008, when Trey Rolison posted a 3-7 record in his lone season as head coach, the Whippets have posted a cumulative record of 57-85 for a winning percentage of .401.
The head coaches who followed Rolison, their records as KHS head coach, and the season they coached, are as follows: Stan McCain (12-24), 2009-11; Tyler Peterson (11-14), 2012-2013; Trac Baughn (21-6), 2014-15; Chad Peterson (1-6), 2016; Sid Wheatley (2016), 0-3; and Causey (2017-19), 9-25. The 2016 season began with Chad Peterson as head coach. After he was dismissed during the season, Wheatley served as interim head coach for the remaining three games.
Removing Baughn’s 21-6 record over his two seasons from the total leaves the Whippets with a record of 36-79 since the beginning of the 2008 season for a winning percentage of .313.
Wilbanks said the exact hiring process — shape of the committee, procedure, etc. — has yet to be determined.
She said it is hoped the new head coach will be able to take the football team through spring training, but there are a lot of factors to be considered. She indicated the school wants to hire the new coach as soon as possible, but that the process would be thorough.
