Westmoore Head Coach Chad Davis Resigns

Originally Published: Nov 9, 2009 5:53 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

MOORE, Oklahoma -- After just one season leading the Westmoore football program, head coach Chad Davis resigned his position Monday.

Westmoore booster club president Patrick Yandell, whose son Dylan plays for the Jaguars, said Davis met with the players during practice to inform them of his resignation.

“My understanding is that he told the boys and the coaches that he felt like his style of coaching wasn’t a match for Westmoore,” Yandell said.

Davis took over Westmoore’s head coaching position this season after the retirement of Mike Whaley, and planned to overhaul the offense. Davis instituted a new no-huddle offense, which did not result in the success he had hoped.

The Jaguars were shut out four times this season and scored more than 20 points in a game only twice, leading them to a 2-5 district record and leaving them out of the playoffs. Under Whaley’s leadership, Westmoore qualified for the playoffs the last five years in a row.

Whaley coached Westmoore for more than 10 years. He accomplished a high level of success and was well respected. The transition away from that legacy did not go as smoothly as desired.

“I think there were probably some feelings between players and Coach Davis and probably parents and Coach Davis and some of the coaches and Coach Davis, there was probably some rubbing the wrong way,” Yandell said.

No decision has been made yet about who will take over for Davis as interim coach. Yandell said he assumes that assistant coach John Burruss will have that responsibility, as he did after Whaley’s retirement.

Burruss was a candidate for the permanent position before Coach Davis was selected, and Yandell said he believes Burruss will be a contender once again.

“He was a candidate the last time. I understand from one of the board members that there were several candidates who were interested who were very qualified candidates,” Yandell said. “But the last time, they couldn’t get a clarification if they were being hired for an interim position or a permanent position.”

Yandell added that most of those candidates ultimately did not apply for the open coaching job because they did not want to risk their current job by applying for what might not be a permanent spot. Yandell said he does not know if those same people will once again vie for the open position, but that an official decision on the interim coach should be made in the next few days.

Chad Davis could not immediately be reached for comment. Oklahoma Sports will bring you more information as it becomes available.