©2009 NPT PHOTO BY RICK HOOPER

Cocke County High School head football coach Casey Kelley
announced Monday that he was stepping down so he could
focus on his administrative duties at the school.

NEWPORT-Following two seasons as the coach of the Cocke County High School Fighting Cocks football team Casey Kelley resigned his position, effective immediately, on Monday.

Kelley cited the decision as a career choice in order to focus more on his administrative duties at the school. On July 31, Kelley was hired to be one of three assistant principals at the school, along with being named the school's athletic director.

"At Cocke County High School we have a football program that is in need of 100 percent focus and we have a high school that isin need of 100 percent focus," Kelley said. "I can not neglect my day job for my afternoon job and I can't neglect my afternoon job for my day job.

"There's not enough time in the day to do both jobs,no matter how organized you are," Kelley said. "Both jobs are 24(hours a day) seven (days a week)."

Kelley, who announced the news to his team on Monday afternoon, said the decision was tough, but one he felt was necessary for his career goals.

"Ultimately it came down to a professional choice between administration or athletics," Kelley said. "Being involved in the administrative side is the best experience I've had in education and my career goals are leading me toward the administrative choice."

Kelley will still be involved from the athletics side in his administrative role in his duties as athletic director.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kelley said."I've spent 22 years as a player, coach, volunteer, fan and critic of CCHS football and I'm looking forward to continuing to help build it."

He has cited plans for continued facility improvements and the betterment of the overall athletic program for the school's student-athletes.

The resignation will have Cocke County searching for their fourth football coach since Larry Williams, the school's current principal, stepped down following a 20-year run in 1999. Wes Jones headed the program from 2000-2005 and David Crawford from 2006-2007 and Kelley the following two seasons.

Williams said that when he hired Kelley to be on his administrative team in July that they discussed the nature of taking what amounted to three full-time jobs, but reiterated that the decision to relinquish the football duties were Kelley's decision.

"We discussed at the first of the year to see how it went this year," Williams said. "He made a career decision, and I admire him for it.

"He was not asked to resign as football coach and we have not offered anyone the job, but we are interested in some people,"Williams said.

Williams, who coached Kelley in his All-Conference career in the late 1980s and early 1990s at CCHS, was thankful for the job that Kelley did in his 19-month tenure as the school's football coach.

"We are thankful for him and the improvements we saw, the facilities upgrades he's overseen have been phenomenal and under him,we've shown class on and off the field," Williams said.

Kelley said that there is no definitive timeline in naming his successor but that the plan is to have the thirteenth coach in school history in place by spring practice.

"We will post the job with the TSSAA and school system (today) and then proceed from there with interviews and naming a coach," Kelley said.