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Rootstown Local Schools and athletic director Keith Waesch are searching for a new football coach to succeed Randy McCoy.
ROOTSTOWN, Ohio – Rootstown is nearing completion of its first round of interviews to identify a new football coach, according to Rovers’ athletic director Keith Waesch.
“It’s a position we’d like to fill sooner rather than later,” Waesch said. “Ideally, we’d like to have somebody in place in the middle of February at our board meeting Feb. 13.”
Randy McCoy, a longtime member of the coaching staff and head coach for four seasons, resigned in December following a 5-5 campaign.
The Rovers, members of the Portage Trail Conference County Division, opened 5-0, but dropped five straight to end the season. Rootstown had just 24 players on its roster and then faced a gauntlet of opponents to close the year.
“Southeast, Mogadore and Garrettsville Garfield were three of the schools that we faced in the second half of the season,” Waesch said. “And Waterloo in Game 10 and they were 7-3. There is no doubt the schedule got tougher.”
McCoy’s four teams were a composite 16-24. His decision to resign was his own, according to Waesch in an earlier report.
Preparation for the start of practices for the 2011 season was hampered by a pay-to-participate fee, which later was overturned.
“We actually are not in a pay-to-participate mode right now with the passage of our levy on Aug. 2 in the past year,” Waesch said. “I really do believe that contributed to our lack of numbers this past season.
“Eleven on 11 doesn’t leave many bodies standing.”
Rootstown received almost 40 applicants for the position, including seven or eight from out of state, said Waesch.
“We will have interviewed 12 individuals (in the first round). Obviously we will bring back as many as a handful or more,” the Rovers’ AD said.
“We'd like to get somebody in house, but that may or may not be a possibility.
“If it’s going to be a teacher, we may not know of a teaching position until March.”
McCoy had said he plans to be an assistant football coach for 2012 at a high school not yet determined.