Football coaching shuffle under way

Two Mid-Valley high schools are looking for head football coaches, just two months after the 2007 season ended.

Matt Ray, who guided East Nicolaus to back-to-back Northern Section Div. IV championships, and Tim Cox, who took an unbeaten Gridley squad to the Northern Section Div. II title game in 2006, will not return in for the 2008 campaign.

Ray has resigned to accept a position as head coach at Antelope High in the Roseville Joint Union High School District, while the administration at Gridley has opted not to rehire Cox.

“I got an opportunity to coach elsewhere at a brand new high school,” Ray said. “It’s a huge opportunity to be at the ground level.”

Ray said Antelope, like River Valley three years ago, will field a junior varsity squad with freshmen and sophomores its first year, and add a varsity team in 2010.

Antelope is projected to have a student population of 1,800. East Nicolaus has 320 students.

Ray said he anguished over his decision.

“It took a long time to pull the trigger,” Ray said. “It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I love East Nicolaus, I love the kids, I love the community.”

But the opportunity to build a tradition and program from scratch ultimately swayed his decision.

East Nicolaus was Ray’s first head varsity coaching experience. He had been an assistant at Quincy - his alma mater - coaching with his father, and he was the receiver’s coach at Butte College.

He arrived in East Nicolaus three years ago and went 6-5.

Ray considers that first game at East Nicolaus career highlights.

“No one gave us much of chance,” Ray said.

The Spartans won that game, 26-0, over host Esparto.

After that season, which included a playoff game, Ray took the Spartans to consecutive Section titles, beating host Hamilton, 28-7 in 2006 to cap a 10-2 season, and stopping visiting Modoc, 20-6, last season to finish with a 9-3 record.

Ray said he will always cherish those championships.

“And definitely the kids,” Ray said. “The players are amazing, the community here is amazing. The kids work extremely hard. They go to the wall for you. And the community has been very supportive.”

Besides coaching football at Antelope, Ray also will teach physical education and history, the same classes he teaches at East Nicolaus.

“Antelope is getting a great coach,” East Nicolaus baseball coach Dave Deniz said.

“(Ray) made Friday nights mean something around here again.”

Ray helped the school in other ways, too.

“He was instrumental in bringing a weight room to East Nicolaus,” Deniz said. “It benefits not only athletics but the entire school. ... He’s helped all sports and programs at East Nicolaus,” Deniz said.

East Nicolaus principal Matthew Roberts said there is no deadline for hiring a new coach.

“We haven’t even posted the position yet,” Roberts said, adding several people already have contacted the school expressing interest..

While Ray is leaving on his own accord, Cox is not.

“They decided not to rehire me,” Cox confirmed. “We had a difference of opinion.”

He declined to elaborate.

The school’s principal, Joan Zappettini, also declined to comment about the decision not to bring Cox back.

Zappettini did say school officials hope to hire a coach as soon as possible because there is so much to do before the season begins, including scheduling spring practice and summer leagues. The district advertised for the position and the deadline to apply was Friday.

Cox has been the head coach at Gridley for the past six seasons. He started his 28-year coaching career at Rosemond High in Southern California.

Cox said he will miss the players.

“It’s all about the kids,” he said. “We’ve had some good times.”

One of the highlights was the 2006 season when the Bulldogs won the Butte View League and reached the Northern Section title game before losing to Anderson, 7-0, at home. They finished the season, 11-1.

Cox remains at Gridley High physical education teacher.

Contact Appeal-Democrat sports reporter Richard Myers at 749-4714 or rmyers@appealdemocrat.com