Football: Oswego East coach Mark Green resigns

Updated: November 2, 2011 7:23PM

Following a 2-7 season, Oswego East varsity football coach Mark Green announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon.

“It was an extremely difficult decision for me to make but I feel it is in the best interests of OEHS Wolves football,” Green said in an e-mail statement. “I’m grateful to all the players I have coached and individuals I have worked with over the past eight years. I will certainly cherish the memories.”

Green informed his players of his decision on Tuesday and will participate in the program’s season-ending banquet next week before the position is officially posted for internal and external candidates. The new coach will have to fill a teaching need at the school as well.

“We look for a coach that has a lot of Mark’s main qualities — to instill character in kids, that is going to create an atmosphere of sportsmanship, is going to be well organized and promote his sport positively,” Oswego East athletic director Laura Waibel said. “I think we look for all those things in all coaches we have, whether they’re on the big stage or a smaller stage.”

Waibel says she receives hundreds of applicants for most of the coaching positions that open up at the school and that she will be “open to all possibilities” regarding the search.

During Green’s tenure, the Wolves have not reached the IHSA playoffs or beaten rival Oswego. But, Waibel said she had not heard any discontent about the direction of the program.

“Do I hear from people, hear complaints? No. I have not gotten any comments from anybody about that status of wins and losses,” Waibel said. “Is it the end-all, be-all of programs? No, it’s not. Part of what we look for is a coach who is going to help guide our kids, run a good, clean program where kids learn to respect each other, respect their opponents, respect the officials and I think we’ve done that here. It’s unfortunate the wins and losses haven’t come with that.”

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