Danville High School’s newly hired head football coach John Jacobs resigned unexpectedly last weekend, prompting school officials to speed up the process of refilling the position before the Aug. 4 start date for preseason practice.

“I learned about the resignation from Danville High Principal Pat Smith while I was on the Gulf Coast attending a superintendent’s conference,” said Superintendent Bill Hopkins Jr. “It was totally unexpected and unfortunate because of short time before preseason football practice starts. I was told the reason was health issues.

“We’re going to move on finding his replacement as quickly as possible,” he added. “The job was posted Mon., June 30, and Pat (Smith) is already conducting interviews. Our goal is to have a new coach on board on or before Aug. 4.

Smith said Jacobs called him early Mon., June 30, and informed him he was resigning after receiving the results of some medical tests he had done earlier.

“I called Superintendent Hopkins and we had the position posted on a state website that afternoon. I also made some phone calls to principals and coaches I know personally to help get the word out for out need.”

“I have applications from several candidates and interviews are in progress,” he added. “I’m pleased with the quality of the applicants and expect to make a recommendation to the superintendent this week.”

Hopkins said Jacobs’ resignation wouldn’t become official until it is approved by the school board at its next regular meeting July 10. Neither will it be able to act on a replacement for Jacobs’ coaching and teaching position until the jobs have been posted for at least 14 days in accordance with state law.

“The earliest the board could approve a replacement would be July 15,” Hopkins pointed out, “and it would have to be done at a special called meeting.”

This is not the only bad news Danville’s football coaches and players have had to deal with in recent days. On June 24, Austin Cook, a freshman, was struck by a car and killed while walking to school to attend an early morning workout in the weight room.

Jacobs, a Loretto, Tenn., native, who played college football for the University of North Alabama, accepted the Danville job last April after coaching for 16 years. He was an assistant and head football coach at Loretto High School for nine years ands was assistant coach at Lawrence County (Tenn.) High for seven years.

“The timing is not ideal,” Hopkins said, “but we will work through this situation. Hiring a well qualified head coach to work with the kids in Danville’s football program, as soon as possible, is a priority, and we will do whatever it takes to make that happen.”