The search for a new head football coach at Goshen High School has come to an end…at least until February.

In a special meeting of the Pike County Board of Education Monday Superintendent Mark Bazzell opened a discussion about the vacant position and told the board that he is going to recommend the implementation of an interim coach starting this month.

“This has been a long and difficult two weeks,” Bazzell said. “We need to put all of this behind us and move forward on what is best for the kids.”

Bazzell had a recommendation for the head coach spot two weeks ago, but a temporary restraining order from the concerned citizens of Goshen stopped the board from making a decision on the Goshen job.

That issue was settled and the BOE is now moving forward with the hiring of a new head coach and Bazzell wanted to hold the special meeting to let the board know about what he will be recommending. Bazzell will recommend longtime Goshen assistant coach Bart Snyder to take over as head coach of the Goshen Eagles on an interim basis. Snyder will be the head football coach and athletic director for the upcoming football season and the BOE will re-advertise the head football coach job in February of 2010.

Snyder will begin work as the AD and head coach July 13 if approved by the board. He has been a coach at Goshen for the past 18 years.

“My biggest and No. 1 concern is to give those student athletes in Goshen some clarity about what the rest of the summer and what the next football season is going to look like,” Bazzell said.