Lexington School District One has opted to have separate positions for its school’s athletics director and head coach.
River Bluff and Gilbert implemented that change prior to the start of this school year. As the football season comes to an end, Pelion and Lexington are following suit.
The past two weeks have seen both Dann Holland of Pelion and Dustin Curtis of Lexington announce their resignations as head football coaches of their respective programs. They also plan to remain as athletics directors.
Holland spent 10 seasons as the Panthers head coach. He led the Panthers to a third region title in school history in 2020 which was his lone winning season.
Prior to Pelion, Holland spent three seasons at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler where he led the Trojans to back-to-back Class A Division II titles in 2013-14.
“We want to express our gratitude to Coach Holland for his dedicated service to our football program and are excited about the opportunity for him to focus on enhancing the development of all sports at Pelion High School,” Principal Sean Bishton told parents and employees in a December 6 letter. “In the coming weeks, we will begin the search for a new Head Football Coach to lead the football program starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Curtis’ decision was announced in a letter Friday. A Lexington graduate, he posted a 12-10 record in two seasons with back-to-back playoff appearances out of Region 4-5A.
He previously spent one season at Dorman and won the Class 4A title at A.C. Flora in 2020 during a 3-year tenure.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to coach Curtis for his exceptional leadership and dedication to our football program,” Lexington principal Jennifer McNair wrote in an email sent to staff and parents Friday. “His contributions have been invaluable and we look forward to his continued impact on our school’s athletic success.
“In the coming weeks, we will initiate the search for a new head football coach to lead our football program starting with the 2025–26 school year. We are committed to finding a qualified individual who shares our passion for developing student-athletes and upholding the strong traditions of our football program.”
White Knoll remains the lone Lexington I school not to separate its coaching and athletics director positions. Lexington Two is reportedly slated to do the same for its athletics programs.
Featured Photo: Lexington head football coach Dustin Curtis with the Sonic Friday Night Rivals trophy. Photo by lexingtonwildcats.com
