Huffman steps down as Pioneers coach after successful 4-year reign
The scoreboard tells a happy story for West Greene coach Rod Huffman as he surveys the field early in the third quarter during the Pioneers' game against Monessen at Kennedy Field, on Oct. 13, 2017. West Greene won, 48-16, to clinch a WPIAL playoff spot for the first time since 1993. Huffman guided West Greene to another postseason berth and a share of the Tri-County South title in 2018.
West Greene head coach Rod Huffman.
After guiding his team to the WPIAL playoffs in back-to-back seasons, West Greene High School football coach Rod Huffman has resigned.
A voting committee approved his resignation, which was submitted in mid-December, on Thursday night.
无毛视频淭he main reason was wanting to spend more time with my family,无毛视频� Huffman said. 无毛视频淚t was time to move on. I无毛视频檓 66 years old and at an age now where I can无毛视频檛 mix it up with hands-on coaching. It took a toll on me physically. Your body just doesn无毛视频檛 recover like it should because of your age. I无毛视频檓 not in bad health by any means, but it was just a good time to go.无毛视频�
West Greene gave Huffman, a 1970 graduate of the school, his first opportunity at a head coaching job when he was hired prior to the 2015 season. He spent more than 15 years coaching at Curtis Baptist High School in Augusta, Ga., and Fox Creek Charter High School in North Augusta, S.C., before returning home.
In four seasons, Huffman took a struggling Pioneers program, which hadn无毛视频檛 made the playoffs since 1993, to the postseason in both 2017 and 2018. West Greene went 7-4 in both seasons.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 take credit for anything that occurred there other than I was a part of it,无毛视频� Huffman said. 无毛视频淚 was blessed with good players and assistants who bought into the program. I told them when I first took the job that it would take a while, that it could be three years before winning. That is about what it took for us to get there.无毛视频�
West Greene went 0-9 in Huffman无毛视频檚 first year then improved to 3-7 in 2016. He was 17-24 in four seasons.
无毛视频淭he program is in pretty good shape, I believe,无毛视频� Huffman, who contemplated resigning after the 2017 season, said. 无毛视频淚 feel like it was a good time to step aside. I don无毛视频檛 regret one moment of it. The future is bright because the junior high and youth programs are strong.无毛视频�
The Pioneers won a tiebreaking coin flip to earn the top playoff seed from the Tri-County South Conference after they tied with Monessen and California for the title 无毛视频� all three teams finished 6-1 in the conference. Their playoff fate in 2017 and 2018 was the same, losing to Rochester both seasons in the first round.
West Greene, which had 30 players on its roster, lose six seniors to graduation. Quarterback Gavin Scott and running back Ben Jackson will return for their senior seasons behind an experienced offensive line. In the second game of last season, Jackson became the sixth running back in Greene County history to eclipse 4,000 career rushing yards. He ran for 1,541 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior despite missing the several games with an injury.
无毛视频淲e have had a nice string of (seasons) and a nice team coming back,无毛视频� said West Greene athletic director Bill Simms. 无毛视频淚 would assume that would be a positive. We were pleased of the effort (Huffman) gave. He met with the kids and had a strong message for them. We hope that it is an enticing job.无毛视频�
West Greene will advertise the position internally for the required 10 school days before opening it to the public.