Head Football Coach Resigns

On Tuesday afternoon, head football coach Chris Cagle announced to his players that he will be resigning from his position. In three seasons, Cagle compiled a record of 11-19, including back to back 4-6 seasons.

In a speech to his players, Cagle reflected on his time at Sparkman, including standards they set and the achievements they made.

“I’m proud of these guys. Team GPA is up, discipline involving players is down and the locker room culture is where it should be,” Cagle said.

Cagle also highlighted the progress the program has undergone in his tenure.

“When I arrived here in 2014, we were behind. We had to practice in the parking lot and grass outside the fieldhouse,” Cagle said. “Now, we have green grass and good fields. I admire the way these classes adapted to the change that we brought in and the standards to which we held them.”

Cagle stated that he plans to retire from teaching at the end of the school year, but continue coaching, either at a private school or in Tennessee. His time at Sparkman may be over, but he hopes to leave a lasting impact on his players and students.

“Above all I want my players to be hard, competitive workers and excellent fathers for the next generation,” Cagle said.

The now-vacant head coaching job is currently being advertised across the southeast and a few people have already expressed interest. They are hoping to find someone to fill the position in time for a board meeting in February.

“We want someone who’s a good person that’s going to take the best interest in our athletes and students, not only as a coach but in the classroom as a teacher,” athletic director Jason Watts said.

Watts vocalized that they ideally want someone with experience coaching at a large school and who has had success in their career.

“Our preference isn’t particularly anyone on the inside or the outside of the program, but it is to find the absolute best person to take us to the next level,” Watts said.

Administration is also looking to appoint an interim head coach for a short period. Distractions aside, the team is focusing ahead to the next season with assistants taking over for the time being.

“Even though there’s not a head coach in place, they still know what kind of work is required to enable them to achieve their goals they set in place,” Watts said.