Vidalia High School football coach Jeff Hancock is departing the school to accept a position at McMurry University in Texas.

Hancock leaves the Vikings program after a three-year stint in which VHS tallied a 5-25 mark, including a 3-7 campaign in 2016.

Vidalia High School assistant principal Bernie Cooley said Hancock’s last day at the school will be today, and a search to replace Hancock will begin immediately.

“We’re looking for the best possible coach that can bring our kids forward,” Cooley said. “We plan on a three-week application process, and then a couple of days going through those applications. Just right at a month we’re looking at having another coach in here.”

Cooley acknowledged and thanked Hancock for all of his hard work and dedication to the program in the past three years.

“When Jeff came in, Vidalia was down,” he said. “Now, we’re a lot more competitive. We went from not being in any ball games to three wins and losing four close games, which puts us in our more competitive nature.”

Vidalia is dropping down from LHSAA Class 3A to 2A beginning next season and will compete in the same district as Concordia Parish rival Ferriday High School.

“We’ve started making progress upward, and we just want to continue that trend,” Cooley said. “Vidalia has always had a ton of talent. Other schools come in and get our kids to go over to their schools quite regularly. That’s not a big secret. Our kids have a lot of heart, they have a lot of fight to them. Even when we’re undersized they’re competitive.”