RELEASE FROM OZARK SCHOOL DISTRICT – After eight years as Ozark High School head football coach, Chad Depee has resigned. The Board of Education accepted his letter of resignation at the Nov. 17 meeting.
“Thank you to all the players past and present that made the commitment to something hard and demanding. Your sacrifice and efforts have been inspiring and will pass on the Ozark football legacy. We love you,” Depee said. “I am also very thankful for the coaching staff with whom I have had the privilege to work beside. I believe we have moved this program forward. We have put several support programs in place and established culture and expectations in the locker room that I am confident will help produce success in the future.”
During Depee’s tenure, the already tough COC added Carl Junction and Class 6 Joplin to the conference, ensuring all nine regular season contests would be conference games. During the 2016 season, the Tigers achieved an 8-3 record, beating Webb City for the first time in program history, losing in the district semi-final game. The following year, the Tigers went 7-5 and were district runners-up, falling to Lebanon in the District finals. Depee also led the Tigers during the transition from Class 5 to Class 6.
Under Depee’s leadership, he formed the Ozark Youth Football Academy, in order to develop youth football players from grades 3-6. He also worked with area school districts to create the Show-Me South Youth Football League in which the Ozark Youth Football Academy teams played. This past season, the Ozark Youth Football Academy had over 149 athletes in grades 3-6.
Depee also helped his football players develop into quality young men. He created the Adopt-A-Tiger program in which elementary classrooms could adopt a football player who would then come to their class, read to students, eat lunch with them and mentor them. His players would also greet elementary students as they arrived at school, inspiring elementary students to want to grow up to be Ozark Tigers.
“Coach Depee is a role model for our student athletes. He worked tirelessly to serve our student athletes and give them the best opportunity for success,” Athletic Director Yancey Little said. “He is a consummate professional, working just as hard in the classroom as he does on the football field.”
Depee remains teaching weight training at Ozark High School.
“We have a large portion of our lives invested here and we hope for the best for the Ozark football program in the future,” Depee said. “With that being said, it is time for us to turn the page and begin a new chapter.”
