The Northern Eight football conference got a little lighter this past week.

Jack McCurry announced his resignation as head football coach at North Hills after 35 years on the job.

His resume’ includes 281 wins — only Upper St. Clair’s Jim Render and Blackhawk’s Joe Hamilton have more among WPIAL coaches — along with four WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship.

But the number that stands out the most in McCurry’s career is the 35.

He’s part of a dying breed that way.

Butler has had nine head football coaches since McCurry took over at North Hills. That list includes Art Bernardi, who had the stadium named after him years ago, and Jeff McAnallen, who served as an assistant coach under McCurry.

Seneca Valley has had five head football coaches within the past 15 years.

Scott Heinauer is the dean of football coaches in Butler County, having been the head man at Mars for 21 years.

He has another 14 to catch McCurry.

For the most part, football coaches — high school coaches in general — don’t stay in one place anymore.

Current Butler coach Clyde Conti has been coaching football about as long as McCurry, but he’s been a head coach at Clarion-Limestone and Slippery Rock, an assistant at Clarion and Freeport, etc.

It’s tough to drop anchor anywhere as a high school coach.

First off, you have to win and win consistently, You’ll be forced out if you don’t.

School boards can’t run you off for whatever reason. Parents can’t get to you, either.

Gateway’s Terry Smith won 101 games in 11 years of coaching the Gators in football. That’s more than nine wins per season, including 11 consecutive playoff appearances, seven conference titles, four WPIAL championship game appearances.

The school board there was making life difficult for Smith to coach and be athletic director. He took off for the college ranks and is now wide receivers coach at Temple.

The staying power required for a prep coach to stick around a long time is getting more difficult to muster with each passing year.

Heinauer is appreciated at Mars. His consistent record and virtually annual playoff appearances are something to behold.

Mike King is developing a similar run at Knoch. Only a few years ago, he was in danger of losing his coaching post before reeling off a string of successful seasons.

Like Heinauer, King is now the athletic director at Knoch.

King and Karns City’s Ed Conto both have 13 years in at their respective football posts. Conto has more than 100 wins.

How much longer they go remains to be seen.

The era of the three-decade high school football coach is fading away.

Kudos to McCurry. His legacy won’t be forgotten.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle