Photo by Sports Editor Jeffrey Reynolds
Tug Valley High School’s Bob Brewer Stadium sits empty, awaiting it’s twenty-third season of Panther football to begin. Once again, the program has been placed at a crossroads as Head Football Coach Mike Smith resigned expressing frustration over the ability to get players out for the program. The football facilities, bereft of proper weight training facilities and the condition of the field itself have also been an on-going concern for Smith and the program.
Both Smith and TVHS Athletic Director Tony Clusky confirmed the resignation to the Daily News yesterday. According to reports, Smith is currently under consideration for a position with the Pike County Central football team.
Smith told the Daily News yesterday that his resignation had more to do with the program at Tug Valley than other job offers. “It goes back to the same problems we’ve talked about here before. It’s hard to get players out here to play football for a variety of reasons.”
In earlier interviews during the past football season, Smith had expressed frustration over the lack of quality training facilities and the lack of a year round commitment on the part of many of the players to lifting weights and doing the necessary steps to build a successful football program.
Much of the problem at Tug Valley is facility related, as the team doesn’t have a weight training facility as do many of it’s Class AA counterparts. Also, Bob Brewer field is in poor condition due to deep ruts in the field, poor drainage and no dressing facilities on the field.
Smith confirmed that he is considering a coaching option at Pike Central but “nothing firm has been decided on yet.”
Athletic Director Clusky, a longtime head football coach on the Mingo County Prep scene himself, said at this point no one has come forward with any interest in the vacant head coaching position. That leaves Tug Valley without a coach as summer approaches and very little time to put a new system into place. “I don’t know who might be interested.” said Clusky. When asked if he would be interested in assuming the vacancy as he did once before, Clusky was adamant. “I’m done with that part of coaching.”
Smith becomes just one in a long line of TVHS football coaches who have left expressing frustration over the difficulties that have plagued the program for most of it’s twenty -two years of existence.
Since the school’s opening in 1987, the school has had nine different head football coaches.
Tug Valley High Principal David Clagg was away from the school and unavailable for comment yesterday.
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