POTEAU—Hall of Fame football coach, Greg Werner, resigned his position as head coach at Poteau Monday, only four days prior to the Pirates opening the season Friday at Booneville, Arkansas.
Werner coached Poteau in two different stints, guiding the Pirates to the state championship in 2019, after finishing second earlier in the decade to Anadarko.
He came to Poteau originally from Broken Bow. After the loss to Anadarko, Werner left Poteau for Van Buren, Arkansas, where he failed to have the success Werner had at Poteau. He then coached one year at district rival, Hilldale, before returning to Poteau and winning state by defeating Weatherford in 2019.
Last year, Poteau reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Blanchard. During his time at Poteau, Werner helped the Pirates become one of the top teams in Class 4A.
Poteau Superintendent Scott Kempenich, in a press release, released by the school Monday said Werner resigned all of his duties from Poteau Public School, effective immediately.
Kempenich said assistant Mike Odom has accepted the interim head coaching position. Odom has coached at Poteau 17 years, including the last eight as defensive coordinator.
The Superintendent said the season would proceed as planned, with a renewed focus on well-being, growth, skill development and success, on and off the field.
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