Leetonia’s Airhart to step down
POSTED: June 19, 2008
LEETONIA — Leetonia High School boys’ basketball coach Jay Airhart will have a new team to coach this coming school year. Airhart, who has been guiding the Bears’ basketball program for the past five years has decided to take the head coaching position at Navarre-Fairless High School in Navarre, Ohio.
Airhart leaves Leetonia following a 9-12 season, and pending approval at a Fairless board of education meeting next Tuesday, will take over at Fairless, which is coming off of a 17 win season.
Airhart, who had taught social studies in the middle school at Leetonia, said he plans on becoming a teacher in the Fairless school system in the same capacity.
Airhart said he was extremely appreciative of the opportunity that Leetonia offered him.
“They gave me a chance as an assistant coming out of Massilon,” Airhart said Wednesday night. “The first couple of years were very rough, but we got better and better. I think we now have a competitive program.”
Airhart said the decision wasn’t an easy one.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a coach,” he said of having to tell his team of the news Wednesday morning.
“Time heals all wounds but I’m going to miss it.”
Airhart added that the program is in good shape for the next coach in waiting.
“Whoever gets this job is going to look like a genius because this is a very good basketball team,” he said.
Airhart, who resides in the Canton area, will look to help guide Division II Fairless, a team that made it as far as regional play two seasons ago.
