ASHLAND — The Ashland High School Football Coach Search Committee has recommended Scott Valentine as its head football coaching choice, according to a press release issued on Tuesday afternoon.
Valentine was Head Coach at Madison Comprehensive High School last season. The Rams finished 1-9.
Valentine was head coach of the Arrows from 2002 to 2018.
He would be the 25th head coach in program history per BOE approval. The next step is Board of Education approval at a Special BOE Meeting on Monday, Feb. 13.
Valentine’s decision came as a surprise to Madison officials. He was hired to replace Dave Stupka in late-December of 2021.
“I don’t think Scott left because he didn’t think there was a future here. I think he left because he wanted to go back home,” Madison athletics director Doug Rickert said. “I just wish we knew when we hired him that was a possibility.”
Valentine told Ashland Source he never intended to leave Madison after one season, but the opportunity to potentially return to a program he built to prominence was too good to pass up. He understands the optics of his decision don’t look good.
“It absolutely was a difficult decision for me,” Valentine said. “The kids at Madison have a great work ethic and whoever takes the job, they have a group of kids who are ready to take off.”
