KANSAS, Okla. -- Kansas (Okla.) head football coach and athletics director Steve Patterson's resignation was accepted by the Kansas School Board on Monday, June 12.
Patterson has accepted a coaching position at Carl Junction (M0.), coaching defensive backs and high school track in the spring.
Patterson announced to the team the week of Memorial Day that he was resigning, but it wasn't official until June 12.
"I just want to thank them, the administration and the school board for giving me an opportunity along with the faculty, the students and the community," Patterson said. "It was a great three years my son and I will remember. Hopefully those relationships won't die. I appreciate all their hard work. I think we were making strides in the right direction."
The Comets won just 3 games in Patterson's three years as head coach. They were 1-9 his first year in 2014, followed by a 2-8 season in 2015 and 0-10 in 2016.
But there were some bright spots in other areas. Kansas won state powerlifting championships in seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade levels and in high school.
"I think we were heading in the right direction," he said. "Hopefully they can take that to the football and baseball field and build on it. It was a tough decision, but sometimes you have to make tough decisions that you think are best for your family."
Kansas Schools Superintendent Jim Burgess said high school principal Phil Isom will assume the duties as athletic director, and assistant coach Jimmy Dushane has been promoted to head coach for the 2017 season. The Kansas School Board determined that the change was made too late in the year to hire a new head coach and that the coaching position will be re-evaluated after the season, Burgess said.
Sports on 06/21/2017