Craig Shannon didn”t have an idea Bubba Davis was retiring until a week ago.
That”s why Shannon wasn”t taken aback Monday when Davis announced his retirement after two seasons as head football coach at Columbus High School.
But the motivations that led Davis to his decision, namely the fact he didn”t enjoy going to work and he felt he didn”t have a good working relationship with Shannon, surprised the Columbus High principal.
“As far as I knew, we had a good relationship and we never had any conflicts or confrontations,” Shannon said Tuesday. “His teaching load changed and he welcomed that with open arms. I feel like Bubba Davis is a class act and he brought a lot of different things to our program. He worked very hard and had the best interests of the kids in mind. I hate to see him go.”
Davis” decision to retire after two seasons at Columbus High in which he went 4-18 comes as the team participates in a 7-on-7 passing league. The Falcons won one game in 2008 and three games last season, and all indications point to what could be a very promising season in 2010.
But Davis, 62, opted to pass up the opportunity to coach the team because he was in position not to have to do something he didn”t enjoy. He said Monday his ideas and Shannon”s ideas “aren”t the same” and he didn”t have a “major” issue with Shannon. He said his decision to retire stemmed from “all of the little things” a professional deals with on a daily basis when he has to deal with people.
Shannon, who couldn”t be reached for comment Monday, credits Davis and his assistant coaches for helping develop the football program. He said the coaches were “doing everything they could” to build a team capable of competing for championships. He said he had had numerous conversations with Davis, although he hadn”t talked to Davis about his decision to retire, and that they all had been positive.
“He never came to me and expressed concern about anything,” Shannon said. “I think he ran a good program. Like he said, the kids are right there on the verge of being a top-notch program.”
Shannon said he “didn”t have a negative word to say about coach Davis or about our relationship,” which he thought was “very healthy and very professional.
“I always have and will continue to have the utmost respect for coach Davis,” Shannon said. “If he walked up to me today and needed some help I would do that because what he meant in the lives of these children.”
The Columbus Municipal School District will accept applications for the job of head football coach at Columbus High on June 15-22. A committee of community members and school district administrators will review the applications and select candidates to be interviewed. Those interviews are anticipated to begin June 25. The committee then will recommend a candidate to Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips. It is anticipated the new coach will assume his new job July 1, or on a date mutually agreed upon by the school district and the individual.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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