FOOTBALL CHANGE: Bartlesville High hunts for new grid coach after Jason Sport resigns

For the past three Bartlesville High School football seasons, Jason Sport has paced up and down the Custer Stadium sidelines like a lion in autumn — a focused lion.

Even though the Bruins didn’t feast on great Friday night success during his tenure as head coach,

Sport endured many of the disappointments by presenting a positive response.

But, the quest to lead the Bruin program back to its winning tradition of the early-to-mid 2010’s will now belong to another.

Late last week, Sport turned in his resignation as the varsity head football coach and from his duties as the assistant athletic director.

In a statement by Sport about his time in the position he said: “Being the Head Coach of your Bartlesville Bruins has been the privilege of a lifetime. I can't express my appreciation enough to Chuck McCauley, LaDonna Chancellor, Thad Dilbeck, and the Bartlesville School Board for the opportunity to represent this fine organization. It truly has been my family. My wife Ruth and I will forever be grateful for every single person in this organization who made our lives better and fuller. “

“Coach Sport did a good job,” Bartlesville Public Schools’ Athletic/Activities Director Thad Dilbeck said Saturday. “We wish him the best. … We appreciate all that he’s done. These kind of things happen and we’ll continue to work forward.”

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Dilbeck is hoping to have enough response to the opening to be able to form a committee in mid-January to begin the work of narrowing the list of hopefuls and working toward making a choice.

Sport first arrived at Bartlesville — after successful stints as a veteran assistant at Jenks and Lincoln Christian — in 2018 as the defensive coordinator for then-new Bruin head football coach Lee Blankenship.

Blankenship resigned after the season in order to take the head coaching job at Mustang High School and, after the selection process was completed, Sport became the new Bruin head football coach for the 2019 season.

Among Sports’ challenges was to try to create an air of stability to the program — he would become the Bruins’ fourth head coach in three seasons.

Sport sought to solidify a culture of service to others and personal responsibility as a hallmark of building up the program’s success.

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During his three seasons he also assembled an impressive staff that featured NFL and significant major college experience as well as respected former head coaches.

Each of his seasons also were defined by a unique challenges.

In 2019, all the coaches and athletic administration dealt with the emotional burden of supporting then-athletic director Spence Rigdon, who would pass away shortly after the football season as result of a medical condition.

In 2020, the season’s preparation was greatly disrupted by the virus-related shutdown in the springtime, followed by specific restrictions when off-season work began again on a limited basis.

And, in 2021, Sport and his staff returned only four or five legitimate starters and would rely heavily on sophomores and freshmen on Friday nights.

Through all that, Bartlesville posted a cumulative 8-23 record during those years. The Bruins voluntarily participated in the 2020 playoffs, when the OSSAA opened the postseason to all teams due to the warped schedules caused by COVID-related cancelled games.

Sports’ teams just came up in short, by a touchdown or less, in five games, and barely missed out on qualifying in 2019 for the playoffs.

Sports’ record also included some lopsided setbacks, but only three shutout losses. Bartlesville scored at least one touchdown in 20-straight games.

There were many highlights, including arranging during the final game this season for special needs team contributor James Droz to have a chance to score a touchdown.

Several Bruins also signed college football letters of intent during his watch.

“I will miss so many things, but none more than the young men in the locker room,” Sport’s statement continued. “It was an honor to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with you and be a part of your lives both on and off the field. Finally, to the wonderful people of Bartlesville and Bruin fans everywhere. I can't thank you enough for making this ‘Bama boy feel right at home. I know there are great things ahead for this team, this town, and I'll continue to root like heck for the Bruins, and for you. I hope I represented your team with the grace and the character you all deserve. Fight On!”

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Sport became the longest-serving Bruin head football coach since John McKee (2011-16, part of 2017).

The position opening had already been posted going into the weekend, Dilbeck said.

“We’d like to have someone with tremendous high school experience, someone who understands kids and the community and how the school operates,” Dilbeck said, adding it’s not required the next skipper have been a head coach, but it might be a consideration in a close choice.

He also hopes the next coach “will be committed to the program in the long haul,” and who will understand the community and the importance of working with the youth football program to develop players.

The next head coach will be the 11th in program’s 41-season history going into next the 2022 campaign.

He will have the benefit of several returning starters, albeit the squad should still be on the young side.

The Bruins return last year’s starting quarterback and another one with starting experience, a feature tailback, several linemen on both sides of the ball, a handful of talented receivers and a core of veteran linebackers and defensive backs.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville High in hunt for new football coach