VARNELL, Ga. - When it came time to make a difficult decision, Chad Barger chose to follow his heart.
Barger resigned Monday as the head football coach at Coahulla Creek High School after two seasons and three games. The Colts were 2-21 in his tenure, a mark that says a great deal about the reasons behind the decision to step down.
"I don't feel like my personality and my coaching style fit my kids," he said. "It's just not working. It's stagnant. I feel like we need to move forward, and to do that I need to remove myself from it. The kids feed off me, and when I'm negative they are negative."
That frustration, Barger said, had started to carry over to his personal life.
"My heart said it might be best to step aside and let them turn this thing around," he said. "It really does affect everything in your life. You go home angry and frustrated, and sometimes it's hard to flip that switch."
Barger informed principal Tracy Mardis early Monday before meeting with the team. The school has named Dan Pairney, currently the offensive coordinator, and Chad Murray, the defensive coordinator, as co-head coaches for the rest of the season.
"It will be a shared role between our two coordinators, and we will look to hire at the end of the season when folks are available," said Mardis, who noted that he already had received interest regarding the position.
Mardis also pointed out that Barger made the decision on his own and that the school stands behind him.
"Chad shared with the kids today that he has been more negative than usual, and he felt like for the betterment of our program this is what he needs to do," Mardis said. "The kids seem to be OK. They hugged him and high-fived him after their meeting this morning. Kids are resilient, and they will get back out there and start working hard."
Barger said he plans to remain as a teacher at the Whitfield County school and is doing what he can to help the transition. The former Sequatchie County head coach also did not rule out a return to the sideline one day.
"I will stay on and teach, of course, and I plan to help take care of the field and do some of the paperwork associated with the job," he said. "As for the future, you never know where the good Lord will put us."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.