When the school year concluded, Alvin Briggs knew he would have to find two new assistant football coaches and a new head basketball coach.

Now those are the least of anyone's worries after Briggs' surprise resignation on Monday.

"I love Greenville High and the kids there, not just the athletes," Briggs said. "No one is hurt by this than I am. I can promise you that."

Just a few months ago, Greenville High Principal Dr. Kathy Murphy squelched the rumors that Briggs would be stepping down following a disappointing 2-8 season.

"None of us were happy with the way that this past season turned out, but Coach Briggs is putting a plan together right now to improve things," she told the Advocate a few weeks after the 2004 season concluded.

And now that plan doesn't include Briggs.

Senior offensive lineman Josh Hawkins said that he didn't learn of Briggs' resignation until late Monday afternoon.

"He told me he had some news for me and this was totally unexpected," Hawkins said. "He said he had his reasons, but he didn't say what those reasons were."

While his resignation is shrouded in quandary since he would not reveal the reasons for his resignation, Greenville High still is searching to fill coaching vacancies with just five weeks left before the Tigers open up play against Daleville.

Murphy said that one assistant coaching vacancy was filled at the last board meeting when Bobby Hughes was hired. Hughes, who comes to Greenville from Catholic High in Montgomery, will also take over as head baseball coach.

So far that leaves Greenville's football staff with Matt Coghlan, Joey Hamilton, David Hartman and Hughes.

"We are going to work to fill all of our coaching positions as soon as possible," Murphy said.

Murphy also announced that the boys' basketball coaching position has been filled by Victor Smith. He served as assistant coach under Randy Fullington, who stepped down as coach in April.

Another Butler County coaching vacancy could be filled as early as Thursday following the board of education meeting.

New Georgiana Principal Keith York is hoping to name a new head football coach a month after Ray Wilson backed out of his agreement to coach the Panthers this upcoming season.

York told the Advocate that he had a coach in mind to fill the vacancy, but it will be up to the board to give the final OK.

Wilson, who was defensive coordinator at Straughn High in Andalusia, agreed to become the new head football coach last month. But two days after the board gave its final stamp of approval to hire Wilson, he called York and said that he wanted to stay in Andalusia for personal reasons.