In November, Penney High School said farewell to its greatest high school football player, Kellen Overstreet. On Tuesday, the Hornets also bid goodbye to their greatest coach.
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Dave Fairchild announced his retirement Tuesday in a quiet way, telling his players in a group meeting, “It was a difficult decision to make and I expect you to continue to work hard.”
Fairchild is the only head coach current Hamilton players have known, and the same is true for their parents, many who wore the Blue and Gold themselves since 1981, when Fairchild started at PHS after three years as head coach at South Harrison. He also served as an assistant at West Nodaway for three years.
Thirty-one years and 243 victories (231 at Hamilton) later, Fairchild is ready to turn the reins over to the next guy.
Fairchild’s parting resume includes state championships in both Class 1 (2009, 2010) and Class 2 (2012), along with 12 district titles, three quarterfinal appearances and three semifinal appearances.
Under Fairchild, the Hornets won eight Grand River Conference titles and one KCI Conference title in 2012.