Steven Kilcrease was checking his messages one day and was surprised to hear a familiar voice.

“I was shocked to have a message from coach (Wayne) Grant on my phone,” said Kilcrease, the Pike Liberal Arts School Patriots head football coach. “I knew we had a science teacher job open and he was definitely the one I wanted to talk to about it.”

Kilcrease said everything seemed to fall into place.

“It was weird how it happened because we had the opening come up and he retired and it was like it was meant to be,” he said.

Grant started at PLAS yesterday and before his retirement from the public school system, he had put in 33 years of coaching.

Grant said he saw the opportunity as a good one.

“I talked with Steven, we met with (PLAS headmaster Ceil Sikes) and I decided to come over and help,” he said. “They were looking for a science teacher and it seemed like a good fit.”

Early discussions point towards Grant coordinating the offense and helping in the weight room

Grant brings a 248-97 career record, five football state championships and three weight lifting state championships with him to Pike Liberal.

“It is exciting because his reputation speaks for itself,” Kilcrease said. “I grew up watching his teams play. I am thrilled to death to have him as a coach.”

Coming off the first state championship in school history, Kilcrease said Grant’s expertise in defending a title would definitely benefit the Patriots next year.

“Hopefully some of my experience can be put to use up here to help promote the program,” Grant said. “Being part of a championship is something special. Hopefully we can continue what Steven has started here and I can help him make that transition from the first championship to the second.”

Grant said there are a few elements to getting those back-to-back titles.

“You have to sell to the athletes that each year can be a championship year, it is left up to them,” Grant said. “It depends on how much work you want to put into it.”