SELINSGROVE -- Bill Scott, embattled coach of a Selinsgrove High football program that won 267 games in his 36-year career, has resigned.
Scott, 70, said the pending resignation of three assistant coaches and his stress-related stomach condition factored heavily in his decision to resign, effective Wednesday afternoon.
"It's time," said Scott, whose teams won nine Central Susquehanna Conference-Division I and District 4 Class AAA titles. "All good things must come to an end. It's time to move on.
"I have the physical strength (to continue), just not the mental resolve."
His resignation marks the end of a difficult year for Scott, which began with his hospitalization and multiple surgeries for a blood clot and hemorrhage in his brain, which occurred while Scott was visiting family in Louisville, Ky.
The veteran coach, told by doctors following the procedures that he may never walk or talk again, progressed through a remarkable recovery that allowed him to return to the sidelines this past fall.
Selinsgrove in 2007 advanced to the state Class AAA quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year, ultimately losing to eventual state champion Thomas Jefferson, 24-10.
The Seals finished 11-3 overall, and Scott was named the Class AAA Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania by The Associated Press.
Questions loyalty of assistants
The recent resignations of assistant coaches Dave Hess, Chip Moll and Derek Hicks ignited a firestorm in the Selinsgrove program, creating a divisive environment extending from the locker room into the community.
Scott wondered aloud about "questions of loyalty to me" with regard to his assistant coaches, in particular when he was hospitalized for six weeks in Kentucky.
When initially asked about the rumor that he had resigned as head coach, Scott said: "It's not a rumor. It's a fact.
"I've had three assistant coaches jump ship on me. Looking to replace three coaches, this late in the year. ... It's difficult to find quality people."
The loss of those assistants, all employed as teachers in the Selinsgrove Area School District, along with his health weighed heavily in Scott's decision.
"You have to look at yourself and your team," Scott said. "The only way for Selinsgrove to continue at a high level (in football) is if I stepped aside."
Assistants may return to team
The resignations of Hess, Moll and Hicks would not become official until Monday, and Scott said he believes that they may change their minds and return next season.
Scott added: "I will not, under any circumstances, rescind my resignation as coach."
Looking back on his nearly 40 years on the sidelines at Selinsgrove, Scott cited the Seals' 13-game winning streak in 2006, the school's record in football prior to his arrival (10 games below .500) and current record (112 above .500), and his record in his final five years as coach, 56-10, as his favorite memories.
"I feel that I did a good job, without cutting corners, to achieve victories," Scott said. "People accuse me of being past my time, but just 65 miles up the road (in State College), they're saying the same thing about Joe Paterno (who is 30-9 over the past three seasons at Penn State)."
Relationships to be missed
Former Selinsgrove all-state kicker Ryan Rumberger, who is currently attending graduate school at Arcadia, said: "There's a part of me that is surprised (Scott retired) and a part that isn't. We had some great athletes (from 2000-2002). Each year I grew to have a better relationship with him."
Scott said that he will miss his relationship with his coaches -- "though some have stabbed me in the back" -- and his relationships with the players as well.
"I'll definitely miss it, come August," Scott said. "I've been coaching football for 46 years, so I'm looking forward to doing things I was unable to do when I was coach, like watching my oldest granddaughter play field hockey.
"I feel that a huge weight has been lifted (from me)."
Even after his resignation, Scott still continues to have an unusual impact on the Selinsgrove football program.
The Seals' unofficial Web site, selinsgrovefootball.com, is publishing the simple slogan: "The End of an Era. Bill Scott, Head Coach, 1972-2007" and a list of his accomplishments.
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