Rankin resigns from Butler
BUTLER TWP — Butler High School is looking for a new head football coach — again.
Citing family reasons, first-year Golden Tornado head coach Jim Rankin submitted a letter of resignation to the Butler administration last week.
The letter was included in the packet of information received by Butler School Board members Friday.
“This came as a bit of a shock to us,” longtime board member Art Bernardi said. “Jim felt bad about it. The situation with his grandson and that long commute ... He said it was more difficult to handle than he anticipated.”
Rankin lives in Brighton Heights. His 9-year-old grandson lives with him.
“He (Rankin) enjoyed coaching our kids and was very complimentary toward them,” Bernardi said. “But his coaching our team put his grandson in an awkward spot at times and family has to come first.
“All of us understand that.”
Butler was 0-9 under Rankin this season, posting its third winless season in four years. The Tornado were outscored 314-57 as Rankin put in a new coaching staff and implemented his Wing-T offense.
Numerous injuries to the offensive line stalled the development of that attack.
Rankin said earlier this month that Butler had 41 players miss time due to injuries this season.
Butler will have its fourth head coach in six years come next season. The Tornado will carry a 23-game losing streak into next year and have not won a section game since a 14-0 triumph over Seneca Valley in 2006.
Rankin said in an article appearing in the Nov. 12 Butler Eagle that if he opted not to return, “it would be for nonfootball reasons.”
“We have to go through the process all over again,” Bernardi said. “But it will get done. Coach Rankin laid a pretty good foundation here.”
Rankin was 181-114-3 in 27 years as a high school head coach. He guided North Allegheny to the WPIAL playoffs 14 times in 18 years.
Butler has not had a winning season since 1997.
The Butler school board does not meet again until a week from tonight. Rankin’s resignation will be formally accepted at that time.
“What else can we do?,” Bernardi said. “I know Jim feels badly about the whole situation. He felt he could get a couple of wins this year and was disappointed that didn’t happen.”
“I have tremendous respect for those kids,” Rankin said earlier. “They never quit working. The kids really wanted to be good. They killed themselves in practice.”
Rankin, athletic director Bill Mylan, Butler school board president Linda Patton and Butler Area School District superintendent Dr. Ed Fink could not be reached for comment Sunday night.
