July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Comer to give up JCHS Job
Expected to take position at Winchester
Kirk Comer's alma mater asked for his help. He couldn't turn it down.
Comer, the Jay County High School girls basketball coach for the last five seasons, resigned his position Monday. He has preliminarily accepted the same position at Winchester, pending approval from the school board.
"Winchester had asked me if I would be interested in taking that position," said Comer in an interview today while noting his close friendship with former Golden Falcons coach Gary Horner, who died in August. "The more time that went by, the stronger feeling I was getting that this was something I should do. ...
"Basically ... I just feel like it's something that I need to go do. I'm going back home, but more importantly it's stepping into a position of a really good friend of mine that I think would want me to do this.
"We were really good friends. (Horner) passing away was a shocker. It's just something that I feel like ... every time I sit down and I weigh things out there's this overwhelming push to go do this. ..."
Comer said he would be recommended as the next Winchester girls basketball coach at the Randolph Central School Corporation's board meeting April 14. Winchester athletics director Steve Howell confirmed that Comer would be recommended for the job, but said he did not want to elaborate until after the school board's vote.
JCHS athletics director Ted Habegger said he appreciates Comer's five years of service to the school.
"Everybody sees opportunities in life, and I think he wants to move on and take on a new challenge," said Habegger. "I think he did an outstanding job with our program. I appreciate all the effort and time that he put in and the success that he had that we were able to enjoy during his coaching career. I just wish him the very best."
The search for a new coach for the Patriots begins immediately. Resumes are being accepted at the JCHS athletics office, 2072 W. St. Rd. 67, Portland, Ind., 47371.
Habegger said no official timeline has been set, but he expects to have a new coach in place within two months.
"We want to make sure we have an announcement before school is out," said Habegger. "We're looking at sometime in May."
Comer's teams at Jay County finished with winning records in all of his seasons, including a 36-5 mark over the last two years. He was 77-31 overall with the Patriots, leading them to a sectional title in 2006.
His career record is 205-138.
Jay County recorded a perfect regular season (18-0) in Comer's final campaign, but got knocked out of the sectional tournament for the second straight season by Fort Wayne South Side.
"We had an outstanding season," said Comer. "It was very disappointing for all of us that we weren't able to advance through the tournament more than we did. But at our level, we understood going in that everybody is good and we could have been beaten at any time. We got beat by a good team.
"My feelings were that I was devastated for the girls, because they worked so hard. ...
"I would have liked to have done more for the program. We had great kids. ... We won two conference championships ... I'm proud of that.
"Obviously the undefeated season was just amazing ... I've been blessed to coach a great group of girls for five years."
Comer said his strong friendship with Horner and his connection with Winchester - he is a 1983 graduate - led him to his decision.
Horner was Comer's seventh grade basketball coach, and the two later coached together at the junior high level. Their connection continued through his coaching career, especially during Comer's years at Winchester's conference and county rival, Union City, from 1999 through 2004.
Comer, who said he will continue to live and work in Jay County, also has strong ties with the staff at Winchester. Howell was a teacher when Comer was in high school, and principal Tom Osborn was his football coach.
"They asked me to come and do this, and they've done a lot for me through my high school years and beyond," said Comer. "And I just wanted to pay them back in a small way.
"(My time at Jay County) couldn't have been any better. The administration was super. The girls that we had were outstanding. ... Everybody worked together. It couldn't have been a better situation."
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Comer, the Jay County High School girls basketball coach for the last five seasons, resigned his position Monday. He has preliminarily accepted the same position at Winchester, pending approval from the school board.
"Winchester had asked me if I would be interested in taking that position," said Comer in an interview today while noting his close friendship with former Golden Falcons coach Gary Horner, who died in August. "The more time that went by, the stronger feeling I was getting that this was something I should do. ...
"Basically ... I just feel like it's something that I need to go do. I'm going back home, but more importantly it's stepping into a position of a really good friend of mine that I think would want me to do this.
"We were really good friends. (Horner) passing away was a shocker. It's just something that I feel like ... every time I sit down and I weigh things out there's this overwhelming push to go do this. ..."
Comer said he would be recommended as the next Winchester girls basketball coach at the Randolph Central School Corporation's board meeting April 14. Winchester athletics director Steve Howell confirmed that Comer would be recommended for the job, but said he did not want to elaborate until after the school board's vote.
JCHS athletics director Ted Habegger said he appreciates Comer's five years of service to the school.
"Everybody sees opportunities in life, and I think he wants to move on and take on a new challenge," said Habegger. "I think he did an outstanding job with our program. I appreciate all the effort and time that he put in and the success that he had that we were able to enjoy during his coaching career. I just wish him the very best."
The search for a new coach for the Patriots begins immediately. Resumes are being accepted at the JCHS athletics office, 2072 W. St. Rd. 67, Portland, Ind., 47371.
Habegger said no official timeline has been set, but he expects to have a new coach in place within two months.
"We want to make sure we have an announcement before school is out," said Habegger. "We're looking at sometime in May."
Comer's teams at Jay County finished with winning records in all of his seasons, including a 36-5 mark over the last two years. He was 77-31 overall with the Patriots, leading them to a sectional title in 2006.
His career record is 205-138.
Jay County recorded a perfect regular season (18-0) in Comer's final campaign, but got knocked out of the sectional tournament for the second straight season by Fort Wayne South Side.
"We had an outstanding season," said Comer. "It was very disappointing for all of us that we weren't able to advance through the tournament more than we did. But at our level, we understood going in that everybody is good and we could have been beaten at any time. We got beat by a good team.
"My feelings were that I was devastated for the girls, because they worked so hard. ...
"I would have liked to have done more for the program. We had great kids. ... We won two conference championships ... I'm proud of that.
"Obviously the undefeated season was just amazing ... I've been blessed to coach a great group of girls for five years."
Comer said his strong friendship with Horner and his connection with Winchester - he is a 1983 graduate - led him to his decision.
Horner was Comer's seventh grade basketball coach, and the two later coached together at the junior high level. Their connection continued through his coaching career, especially during Comer's years at Winchester's conference and county rival, Union City, from 1999 through 2004.
Comer, who said he will continue to live and work in Jay County, also has strong ties with the staff at Winchester. Howell was a teacher when Comer was in high school, and principal Tom Osborn was his football coach.
"They asked me to come and do this, and they've done a lot for me through my high school years and beyond," said Comer. "And I just wanted to pay them back in a small way.
"(My time at Jay County) couldn't have been any better. The administration was super. The girls that we had were outstanding. ... Everybody worked together. It couldn't have been a better situation."
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