Coach Mark Cole submits resignation, takes head position at Savannah HS

Coach Cole led the Bulldogs to a combined record of 40-26 in his six seasons at GHS. Savannah, a participating member of the Midland Empire Conference and Missouri Class 3, finished 1-9 overall and 0-7 in the conference in 2007.

Coach Cole consented to an interview to discuss his decision to move on. Following are questions and answers from that interview:

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We have a lot of work to do. We had two players with varsity experience when I showed up. The underclassmen were not where they needed to be, athletically. We had to put in some time. We did, and got some very nice results. Savannah has a few more boys returning right now with experience, but they are behind, I feel, in development. We also have to teach them to WIN. That winning attitude that we have here now, we have to build up there. What, if any, similarities do you see between the Bulldog program when you took over, and the Savage program you inherit?I will miss the closeness of the community. I will truly miss the WONDERFUL friends that we have developed over the years. I will miss the toughness and big-heartedness of my boys and how willing they were to do anything I asked of them. I will miss all the little things that we know about each other and how that made our relationships stronger.What will you miss most about Gallatin and the players you will be leaving behind?First off, the level of competition will be very comparable. The GRC is very competitive. The difference will be in the level of play and competition. It will be a very tough game, every game. The athleticism, talent and overall competition is greater, and that is what excites me. It will make me better, and that is what I wanted.You will be entering a tough conference, not that the GRC isn’t, but did the level of competition affect your decision?I can’t say enough good things about this community. It was so very similar to what I knew growing up at Maysville. I feel that helped me to get my feet set. The support from community members and parents was unbelievable. More that I expected. The atmosphere that we worked to create at football games on Friday nights was tremendous. It was very rewarding to step back and see what we accomplished here and how so many people were on board. This place holds a special place with me. I can only hope to be received as well in Savannah. I think that even though Savannah is a bigger town, I feel that it still has several small-town qualities that make it what we want for our family.Talk, if you would, about the Gallatin community atmosphere and how you hope to be received in Savannah.I haven’t met with them yet. I hope to do that this week. The thing is, kids are kids, no matter where you are. They all want someone to care about them. I can’t wait to show them that I’m the guy who will care.What will you tell your (new) kids? Before talking with the coaches, I was uneasy. I didn’t know a lot about what they had returning and just exactly where they were developmentally. While talking with one of the assistant coaches, I became very excited. He told me that the kids had turned a corner in the weight room and really started to understand that that is where you win games. That they were seeing some real results and were excited about that. I also got a good feel for his excitement and passion. Our conversation was probably the biggest deciding factor in sealing the deal.What were you feeling before, during and after you talked to your assistant coaches and next year’s prospective SHS squad?There were several factors. I would say the biggest was the chance to advance in my profession and take a step up. I’ve always thought that coaching in a mid-size school with 80 to 90 would be ideal. This was my chance to step up into a bigger league, and I took it.What factors influenced your decision to take the head football coaching position at Savannah High School?