Football coaches McElroy, Saunders resign

By John Bassetti | December 15, 2010 at 12:08a.m.

By John Bassetti

Two high school football coaches, Struthers’ Dallas Saunders and Lisbon’s Jeremy McElroy, resigned recently.

Struthers superintendent Robert Rostan said that the board of education was expected to accept Saunders’ resignation during Tuesday night’s meeting.

“Generally, when someone has submitted a resignation, the board accepts it,” he said.

Saunders went 14-36 in six seasons, including a 4-6 mark this fall.

Rostan said that Saunders gave no reasons. A message left for Saunders was not returned.

“I guess he decided it was time to step down,” the superintendent said.

Struthers will begin a search by posting the position this morning, Rostan said.

To apply, interested parties should send a letter of interest and resume for the head coaching position to the Struthers Board of Education, c/o superintendent’s office, 99 Euclid Ave. Struthers, OH. 44471.

Preferably the candidate will have had head coaching experience or, at least, varsity experience.

Lisbon went 1-29 in McElroy’s three seasons. McElroy submitted a resignation letter last week.

Superintendent Don Thompson said that there was a consensus that the football program should go “in a different direction.”

The Blue Devils were winless in 2008 and 2009.

McElroy’s hiring came on the heels of an 18-year coaching stint by Jim Tsilimos.

McElroy, a 1996 graduate of East Palestine High, will remain in the Lisbon system as a sixth grade social studies teacher.

“It was a lot of different things, so you can’t put a finger of one thing,” McElroy said of the circumstances that led to the team’s 1-29 during his tenure.

The 32-year-old coach was comfortable with his coaching methods and philosophies, that he felt, furthered the development of his players.

“I tried to stress doing the best you can with whatever situation develops,” said McElroy, who’d prefer to return to coaching.

“I’ll be doing something in some way, shape or form soon because new challenges will give us new focus.”

Lisbon High’s last winning season came in 2005, when the Blue Devils went 7-3.