Tribe coach resigns (04/17/07)

FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery's girls basketball team opened 11-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the state. It finished 19-4 and won a second straight sectional title.

The Indians knew they would be losing seven seniors from that 2006-07 team. Now they will need to replace the coach as well.

Jeff Roessner, who coached the Tribe for the last four seasons, turned in his letter of resignation last week and FRHS made the official announcement Monday.

"Jeff has done an outstanding job for us," said athletics director Barb Sautbine. "He has guided our players to another level. I think his record speaks for his passion for the game of basketball and for his desire for his players to excel.

"He has put his heart and soul into this program. ... (He is) a good friend and it saddens me to see him go. I wish him well in his future endeavors. He will be missed."

Because all Fort Recovery coaches are on one-year contracts, the school board does not need to take any action.

"All good things come to an end," said Roessner Monday afternoon. "Sometimes for the betterment and the growth of the program it's better for the person that is coaching and the people that are hiring to look at a different avenue. I just thought this was the right time for them to look for someone else for that job."

Under Roessner, Fort Recovery experienced its best sustained run of success since winning back-to-back state titles in 1990 and '91.

After a 6-15 season in 2002-03, the Tribe lost five of its opening seven games in Roessner's first season, then won 13 of its next 14 en route to a 15-7 campaign. A year later the Indians were 16-6, and they followed up at 18-6 in 2005-06 and 19-4 in 2006-07 with back-to-back sectional championships.

Fort Recovery finished the 2006-07 season ranked sixth in the state.

It dropped out of the tournament with a two-point loss to New Knoxville, which finished as the state runner-up, thanks to a buzzer-beating shot.

Roessner, whose overall record was 68-23 (.747), said he was thankful for the opportunity to coach at FRHS for the last four seasons.

"I had a great opportunity. It's not very often you get a chance to coach as many great kids as I had over the last four years," he said, mentioning former players Joscie Kaup, sisters Krystal and Ciera Rammel and Jenn Stahl in addition to his current squad. "That was a great deal.

"I'm really very thankful to have had that chance. ... Besides being great players, they're even better people."

He also said he thinks the program will continue to be successful.

"There is plenty of talent left in this cupboard," Roessner said. "I'm looking forward to them having a good year (in 2007-08)."

The search for a new coach begins immediately, with those interested asked to send resumes to Sautbine at P.O. Box 604, 400 East Butler Street, Fort Recovery, Ohio, 45846, or e-mail [email protected]. Resumes will be accepted through Monday.

Sautbine, who will be part of the search committee, said she hopes to have a coach in place sometime in May. The committee will also include assistant athletics director Joe Bruns, principal Dave Warvel and at least one student and one community member.

As for Roessner, who also coached the Fort Recovery boys basketball team in the early 1990s, he said he plans to be on the bench again.

"I really hope to get a chance to coach again," he said. "If not at Fort Recovery, then at a district close. I really don't see my coaching career as being over.

"I just truly love to coach. It's not like I was burnt out or not looking toward the future."[[In-content Ad]]