After a record-setting season in 2016, the Russellville varsity softball team is looking for a new coach after John Smith resigned this week.
Russellville City Schools Superintendent said Smith, who was teaching part-time and coaching softball, resigned due to family issues.
“Coach Smith was dealing with some health issues with his family and decided it was too much and he needed to spend more time with his family,” Grimes said.
The coaching position will be posted Monday, along with the teaching position. Grimes said it will be posted for all secondary teaching subjects with a preference of health and driver's education.
Russellville reached the State 5A Tournament last year for the first time. Smith decided to reduce his teaching duties to a half unit after the spring semester. The new position will be a full unit, Grimes said, so the system will lose half of a teaching unit in the transition.
“We are posting it as a full-time position. That's the only way we will find anyone to fill the position,” Grimes said.
Derek Gober is the assistant varsity and junior varsity softball coach at Russellville and has expressed interest in the position, Grimes said.
“There is internal interest. We're going to look at internal and external candidates and hire the best person to continue the progress of this program,” Grimes said.
The position will be posted for a minimum of seven days and Grimes expects to have a hiring recommendation for the Russellville City Schools Board of Education by late October.
Smith previously coached softball at Hatton High School, where the program saw unprecedented success including a run of four consecutive state titles. His teaching career spans more than 35 years and includes coaching of six different sports.
Smith is a 1974 graduate of Coffee High School, and earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University.
