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LaKunta Farmer announced Tuesday he has stepped down after seven seasons as the head football coach at Doss High School.

Farmer said he wanted to return as the Dragons' coach but chose to step down after meeting with school officials.

"I think they wanted to go in a different direction," Farmer said. "It's time for something new for both parties, and that's not a bad thing."

Doss athletic director Danny McCreedy said the school will begin accepting applications for Farmer's replacement.

"It's going to be hard to replace him," McCreedy said of Farmer. "There's a lot of love between Doss and Coach Farmer, and I think he'll be missed."

Farmer, 35, posted a 41-41 record at Doss. His best season came in 2008, when the Dragons finished 10-3 and reached a Class 5-A regional final.

Doss was the preseason pick to win Class 4-A, District Four this season but finished in third place behind Western and Nelson County. The Dragons lost their first-round playoff game to North Oldham 49-12 and finished with a 6-5 record.

"This year did not go how I anticipated it to go ... and maybe that hurt me," Farmer said. "We didn't do what we should have done."

Last week Farmer was named the head coach of the Kentucky Xtreme, a Louisville-based squad in the Continental Indoor Football League. Farmer has worked with the Xtreme the past two seasons and said it didn't conflict with his job at Doss.

"That's never been a problem," he said. "I love Doss and I love these kids and I love what we've done here the last seven years."

VALLEY NAMES SPIVA COACH

John Spiva has been named the new football coach at Valley, replacing Preston King.

Spiva, 40, has spent the past four seasons as the coach at Farnsley Middle School.

"I've always wanted to a coach on the high school level," Spiva said. "I like being with the kids and mentoring them and helping them become young men."

Spiva said he considers himself "more of an offensive guy."

"I like working with the linemen," he said. "They do all the work and get no respect."

King posted an 8-23 record in three seasons at Valley, including a 1-9 mark this year.

BROWN OUT AT OLDHAM

Matt Brown has stepped down after six seasons as Oldham County's football coach.

Brown posted a 33-38 record, including a 2-9 mark this season. His first team in 2008 finished 9-3, and his 2009 squad was 8-5 after falling to John Hardin in a Class 5-A regional final.

Brown, a 1997 Oldham County graduate, was the head coach at Atherton for two seasons (2006-07) before taking the Oldham County position. He also has been an assistant coach at Oldham County (1998-2004) and Waggener (2005).

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