Get the "Help Wanted" ads ready again. Warren County High School is in search of a new coach.
Here's a free assist on what WCHS will need to put on the job requirements part: Head football coach, equipment manager, field maintenance crew and bus driver. I'm probably missing a few, but that's a good place to start.
I've grown tired of that same classic column trope every time Warren County decides it needs to look for a coach, but it really has never applied more than now as the school goes looking for a replacement for Matt Turner.
Maybe they can find somebody who can coach at Turner's level (though I'd say it's iffy at best considering many have tried the last 30-plus years, and he's the only one who delivered a winning season), but there is just no way you can expect the next person to have as much passion for Pioneer football as the last guy. It's impossible.
Did this feel almost inevitable for the last month or more? Sure. Does that mean it's the right call? I don't think so.
I made my pitch for why they should keep Turner last week in this same space, but obviously that didn't happen. But as I read the statements from WCHS about why Turner wouldn't be part of the program anymore, I just had to shake my head in amazement.
Administration is hoping to "reboot" football, so the first part of doing that was to make sure the guy who has poured more time and effort into the program in the last six years than anybody isn't around anymore. Good luck getting kids, prospective coaches or the Pioneer faithful to care about it more after that move.
Sure, apathy seemed to already be developing under Turner's watch of the program, but really the only time I saw fans and players really fired up all season was when there were people taking shots at the team (and, mostly, at Turner's coaching) midway through the year on social media.
As soon as that happened, people were ready to go to battle for Turner, most notably the guy the administration named in their statement Friday: CJ Taylor. Does the school really think its most popular alumni would agree with ousting his coach? I highly doubt it.
I've had many conversations over the years with Turner and we developed a strong friendship during that time. I'm sure that bond is why I will always go to bat for him, but seeing the posts Friday after the decision dropped makes me realize Matt has hundreds more ready to back him up.
His passion for Pioneer football is unmatched. And because he loves it so much, I know he'll continue to hope for success, but I wouldn't hold my breath football fans.