Changes abound in the local prep varsity coaching ranks throughout the area. There will many new faces, some new and some familiar, when the 2000-2001 school year begins.

There are two interesting developments at Dolores, one is in football and the other in girls basketball.

Don Story, longtime teacher at Montezuma-Cortez High School and radio voice (KVFC-AM, 740) of Panther football and basketball, will take over the head coaching duties for the varsity football program at DHS. Story, who is no stranger to Class 2A San Juan League circles after having coached at Norwood and Dolores, retired from teaching at MCHS following the 1998-99 school year and from coaching girls basketball at MCHS in1995. He will be assisted by his son, Scott Story, and by Todd Wynne.

The other unusual development is the sudden resignation of Greg Buffington, highly-successful head girls basketball coach who led the Bears to the Class 2A State Championships four times including to a third place last year, fourth the season before, and third two years running in 1994 and 1995. He has been replaced by assistant Rob Mellott, a former head girls cage coach at DCHS.

Other interesting coaching developments are happening at Dolores County High School. One head coach announced he was simply retiring from coaching while the other two submitted resignations.

Jim Buffington, who has been in the prep coaching ranks for 25 years in various sports including girls basketball for the past seven seasons at DCHS, said he was hanging up his whistle for good. However, he will continue to teach classes.

Scott Crawford, head boys basketball coach, has decided to leave after only one season on the job in order to return to Salt Lake City. He guided the Bulldogs to a 17-4 regular season record and a berth in the Regional Tournament.

In certainly another interesting development, Greg Buffington has been approved as head boys basketball coach at DCHS, his alma mater. Kim Young, assistant girls coach, has been approved as head girls basketball coach.

Melissa Wilson, who has headed the DCHS volleyball program for the past two years, has resigned. The position is currently being advertised. For more information, phone Steve Baroch, principal and athletic director, at 677-2237.

Jeff Bollinger, who has been at Montezuma-Cortez High School for the past two seasons, is no longer head baseball coach. He guided the Panthers to an 8-12 record this past season which included surprise wins over Durango and Grand Junction High in the same week. And out with him also goes the head boys tennis position as well. He took over that program last fall.

There is still no replacement for softball head coach. Former head coach Ted Williams left the area suddenly following the season. The Panthers recently announced the hiring of Todd Starr to take over boys soccer and the hiring of Karl McGee of McPherson, Kan., as the new head football coach. Maggie Tevault has been named the new cheerleading sponsor at MCHS.

There are still some openings for assistant positions. Two are needed in softball, an assistant boys soccer and girls soccer, assistant football, and assistant girls basketball as well as speech. For more details about those positions, phone Brad Jones, athletic director, at 565-3722, extension 123.