In

something of a surprise, McIntosh football coach Clint

Ashmore resigned as both coach and teacher earlier this

week.

Ashmore,

head coach of the Chiefs for three years, came to the

decision on his own and wished to leave the program on

his own terms. He will finish out the year as a teacher

but is out as coach effective immediately. Assistant

coach Scott Schmitt will lead the team through spring

football practice, which begins next week.

The school

has not decided on a replacement and Ashmore is unsure if

he will coach again immediately.

The

McIntosh football program has been in dire straits over

the past several years. The team went 0-10 in both of the

two seasons prior to Ashmore's arrival. Since then

McIntosh is 5-25 overall, going 2-8 in the first two

seasons and 1-9 this past season.

McIntosh

now stands on a threshhold. The team, which has won only

five games in five years, will now compete in the new

region 4-AAAAA, which is full of 15 other talented and

up-and-coming programs.