Batesville High School Charter is inviting the public to Friday night’s football game at Pioneer Stadium to celebrate the retirement of coach Dave King.
Coach King will be available between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. before the Pioneers take on the Harrison Goblins in the tailgating zone.
In his 26 years at the helm of the Pioneers, King and his teams amassed 207 wins, nine conference championships, nine trips to the state semi-finals, four trips to the state finals, and a state championship in 2003 with a record of 13–0–1. That totals 23 trips to the state playoffs in 26 years.
King, who came to the Pioneers football program in 1996 after coaching in Texas, said he and Batesville School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hester discussed how to proceed in filling the position, ultimately deciding to hire one of the assistant coaches, Ryan Morrow, to fill the head coaching job.
An assistant coach who came to Batesville with Coach King, Kevin Miller, is also retiring. The other assistants are Tim Howard, Price Holmes, Matt Wentz, Neely Norwood, Khang Nguyen, and Nick Palese.
Former athletes, fans, and friends are all invited to celebrate Coach King on his outstanding coaching career at Batesville High on Friday. There will be a plaque presentation just before the game begins on the walking track in front of the 50-yard line.
Coach King announced his retirement in April. (Click here for that story.) He will stay in his role as athletic director for the Batesville School District for two years.
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