While there is no definite time frame, Russellville City Schools officials hope to have a new Russellville High School varsity football coach in place by month's end.
The position was posted on the system's web site on January 23, 2024, and the application window ran through Wednesday, January 31st.
The position opened when former RHS varsity football coach John Ritter resigned effective February 1st to take over the football program at Decatur High School.
The Franklin Free Press has learned that 25 candidates submitted applications for the head football coach position and six of those were contacted for interviews. There were no applicants who are currently employed by Russellville City Schools.
The position that was posted stated applicants should be properly certified for the position and successful head coaching experience is preferred.
Interviews began last week and should conclude this week. Applicants were required to submit their win-loss record as a head coach, number of playoff games as a coordinator or head coach, number of appearances in championship games as a coordinator or head coach along with their complete coaching history.
The application and interview process is being conducted by RCS Superintendent Heath Grimes and RHS Principal Jeremy Madden.
The next regular meeting of the Russellville City Board of Education will be February 20th with a work session on February 19th.
“We are in the process of evaluating candidates with a ranking system,” Grimes said. “We will submit a list of those candidates to the board and let them make a decision from there.”
Normal protocol would see Grimes recommend the top candidate to the board for hiring, but with Grimes retiring from his superintendent position in June 2024, this process is being handled differently.
“We'll provide the board all the information on the top candidates and because of my situation, we'll let the board come to a consensus as opposed to me making a recommendation,” Grimes said. “When they have a consensus I'll present that candidate to the board as my recommendation for hiring.”
Madden said he was pleased with the slate of applicants, though both he and Grimes declined to mention specific names of those who applied or who received interviews.
Almost immediately after Ritter's resignation, community speculation as to who might apply commenced.
One of the top names among those rumored candidates was former West Point, Mississippi varsity coach Chris Chambless. Chambless retired from West Point after the 2023 season, his 18th at the school.
During that time, West Point won seven Mississippi 5A state titles, including the 2023 season. His career coaching record is 208-54, with a lofty 48-11 record in playoff games and a 110-11 record in Region/Area play.
Chambless previously applied for the RHS job in 2011, when Michael Jackson was hired.
Chambless' father Ric is the owner and managing director of Spry Memorial Chapel in Russellville and Hamilton.
A source familiar with the Golden Tiger football program said Chambless had applied, as did Dustin Goodwin, son of former RHS varsity coach Doug Goodwin, and 2004 RHS graduate and former Golden Tiger quarterback Matt Stockton.
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