Brian Rector resigned as head football coach at Centennial on Monday.
Less than a month removed from leading Centennial High School to its best-ever postseason finish, Brian Rector has resigned as Cougars head football coach.
Rector, who led Ravenwood to a state title in 2005 before arriving at rival Centennial in 2011, compiled a 41-20 record in five seasons with the Cougars (65-36 overall), culminating with this season’s Class 5A semifinal berth — a first for the 19-year-old program.
“I discussed it with my wife and it’s been on my mind for several weeks, even before the season was over, but I tried to concentrate on having as good a 2015 as we possibly could,” Rector said.
Centennial, led by Class 5A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year Tyrel Dodson, racked up a program-best 12 wins this fall. Both of the Cougars’ losses were against eventual Class 5A champion Independence.
“It’s an honor to be a part of his last team at Centennial,” said Dodson, a senior Texas A&M commitment. “He did amazing things here, and whatever he does next, he’s going to do great things there as well.”
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Rector wouldn’t talk about his future plans, but there are a handful of coaching openings in Middle Tennessee, including at Division II-AA school Father Ryan, where Bruce Lussier resigned last Thursday after 11 seasons.
“I would never comment on something like that, but I do know that I want to continue coaching and whatever happens, happens,” Rector said. “Obviously as Christmas break gets here that’s the perfect time for a coach in high school to kind of reflect, think and discuss things of that nature.
“At this point I really don’t know; nothing is ruled in and nothing is ruled out.”
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Centennial athletic director Wade Privett said he hopes to have Rector’s replacement in place by “the beginning of February.”
“At this point it’s really too early for us to put together any kind of a list,” Privett said. “We are going to open up the search as broad as we need to in order to find the best candidate to move forward. … We hate to lose (Rector) under any conditions, but if it had to be under any condition, it’s always best for a coach to go out on his own terms.”
Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.