Deja Vu: A search for a new football coach

RED OAK — For the second straight offseason, Red Oak High School will be looking for a new head coach for its football program.

Head Coach Andy Yost's resignation was approved by the Red Oak School Board during the April 25 meeting. Yost sent his resignation to the District on April 19.

Yost cited accepting an offensive coordinator position at Creighton Prep High School in Omaha as his reason for the resignation.

In his letter, Yost wrote he was not pursuing other jobs when Creighton Prep approached and that the decision was a difficult one.

“I had intended to stay here for a long time, but when opportunities like the one at Prep present themselves, I feel it is my duty to do what's best for me, my career and my future family,” Yost wrote in his letter.

Yost said he received a phone call from new Creighton Prep Head Coach Chris Nizzi to inter view for the offensive coordinator position. Yost worked on the staff in 1999-2000.

“It was not an easy decision as far as leaving Red Oak, but as far as what I knew I was getting into, that was a positive thing,” Yost said.

Yost had taken the head coaching position at Red Oak last July, after previous coach Mike Beason resigned to work in Mount Pleasant.
With the resignation coming in April, the District will have more time than last year.

“We're a month ahead of the game,” Superintendent Terry Schmidt said. “Whenever you're ahead of the game, you always have an advantage.”

Schmidt said the position has generated a lot of interest out of state.

“I've had more positive feedback in the last four days from people wanting to come in and coach than I ever imagined,” Schmidt said.

The search for a new football coach comes at the same time as the District looks to wrap up its search for a new assistant principal/activities director.

Current Activities Director Angie Spangenberg resigned in March after several years at the position, to take the volleyball coaching job at Harlan Community High School.

Final interviews for the activities director were completed Friday and the new AD could be announced as early as this week, thus being able to help with the job search.

“We really want that person on board to help us through this process because they're going to have the responsibility to ensure that the coach has every opportunity to be as successful as they can be,” Schmidt said.

Yost said he will transition the new head coach in to Red Oak.

“He and I will be working side-by-side for a while and I’ll slowly phase myself out as I get ready to move into Omaha and get ready to take over,” he said.

With Yost as coach, Red Oak went 1-8, following their promotion to Class 3A.

With the transition to a new coach, participation in football was up last season, according to Superintendent Schmidt.

“The changes that we made last year to put us in a position of strength has to put us ahead of the game from where we were a year ago,” Schmidt said.

Yost said he wants Red Oak to continue to succeed and improve.

“It’s a great place to be,” he said.