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Cleburne football coach Jeff Merket tendered his resignation Wednesday due to unspecified “issues” only to rescind it later that day after speaking with Cleburne schools Superintendent Tim Miller.
Both Merket and Miller declined to reveal what those issues were Thursday, but the coach offered that he is happy with his salary and has no desire to become athletic director.
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Immediate impact
In Jeff Merket’s initial season at Cleburne, the Yellow Jackets qualified for the postseason for the first time in a decade and finished 7-4 overall. Cleburne failed to post a winning record in the nine seasons prior to his arrival.
2011: 4-6
2010: 1-9
2009: 3-7
2008: 3-7
2007: 5-5
2006: 3-7
2005: 3-7
2004: 0-10
2003: 1-9
Miller said he refused to accept Merket’s resignation and asked the coach to give him a week to investigate and, if necessary, find a resolution by next Wednesday’s board meeting.
“I’d love to sit here and discuss all the issues I have and who it’s with, but I can’t,” Merket said. “I agreed with the superintendent that we would handle it internally. I gave them a week to address the issues that I have, that made me feel like it was time to resign.”
Merket spent 11 seasons as an assistant under Art Briles at Stephenville, which won four state titles during those years, and served under Bob Shipley at Burnett, Coppell and most recently as offensive coordinator at Brownwood before being hired by Cleburne a year ago to turn around a moribund football program.
He and his staff made an immediate impact by leading the Yellow Jackets to their first playoff appearance in a decade, finishing 7-4 overall.
“I want to keep Jeff Merket as our head football coach and I’m trying to determine how best to resolve issues that he has brought to my attention and were the reasons for his original resignation,” Miller said. “I don’t want to lose Jeff as a coach. He did a great job with the kids this season and brought on some assistant coaches who are really good teachers and coaches.”
Merket said Thursday he would also like to stay in Cleburne and work it out under the right circumstances.
“I want it to be resolved and I wasn’t looking for drama, I was serious about resigning,” Merket said. “I moved the family here and we have enjoyed our time here. My kids do not want to move, my wife does not want to move. I’d like to stay here until I retire. But, that’s coaching and there’s going to be issues.
“These are just issues that I feel like I can’t stay here with them unresolved.”
Jarret Johnson, 817-390-7760
Twitter: @JohnsonJarret
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