The decision was made on Friday.
The announcement was made Tuesday.
Great Bend High School’s football coach of 13 years, Bo Black, has taken another job.
After he finishes out the school year with Great Bend, Black will head to Hays High to coach football and track and field.
“I think more than anything that I needed a change,” Black said. “I think it might be hard for people in Great Bend to understand. I wasn’t sure if I could accomplish anything more than we already had with the championships we’d won.”
Black has accomplished a lot in his 13 years.
He recorded an 82-47 mark, ranking second in school history in total wins behind Harry Kline, who recorded 99 wins during his run from 1945 to 1960.
Black finished with six Western Athletic Conference titles, going 43-11 in the conference.
Coaching in the WAC with the Panthers, Black was very aware of the rivalry between Great Bend and Hays.
“I started looking around after the football year,” Black said. “One thing my wife and I talked about early on was to not factor in the Great Bend-Hays rivalry. That wouldn’t be fair to my family.”
Once the rivalry was out of the picture, Hays became a good fit once Indians head coach Ryan Cornelson took the vacant job coaching at Hutchinson.
“We had good relationships with the people in Hays,” Black said. “We’d known the other coaches for a long time. I know the conference, the other opponents that they’ll be facing.
“We wanted a town that was similar to Great Bend, with good schools for my kids, and something that provided a change.”
The hardest part of leaving Great Bend for Black was the relationships he’s had with his players and the people in the community.
“We feel blessed to have spent 13 years here,” Black said. “We have a great relationship with David Meter. He’s done a lot for my family over the years. That’s the hardest part of leaving.
“Being in one place for 13 years, you get to have the kids you coached come back and start families of their own. I’m going to miss those relationships, too.”
Black still plans to coach the Great Bend track and field teams this spring.