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UPDATE: Rocky Mountain High School has hired current defensive coordinator Chris Culig as their new head coach.
Rocky Mountain head football coach Scott Criner has stepped down from his position in order to take over as the activities and athletics director at Eagle High School, sources confirmed to IdahoSports.com. The change was first reported by ESPN Boise and the Idaho Statesman's Rachel Roberts.
Criner, who was set to enter his fifth season as the lead man at Rocky Mountain, compiled a 38-9 record with the Grizzlies since he took over the program prior to the 2013 season. His team won the 5A state title in 2015 over then-undefeated Mountain View 41-22.
The now-former Grizzlies head coach replaces Kimber Chrz, who moves into the role of vice principal at Eagle High School.
Criner had previously served as Eagle's offensive coordinator under current head coach Paul Peterson. He has also spent time as a position coach at numerous FCS and FBS college programs, including Boise State.
The departure of Criner leaves a large void for Rocky Mountain to fill with only one month until the start of the 2017 football regular season. IdahoSports.com's Sven Alskog reports that if Rocky Mountain decides to hire Criner's replacement from in-house, the Grizzlies could look to current offensive coordinator Troy Gleave, who was previously the head coach at Payette High School. Other names that could potentially be in the mix include assistant head coach Art Roper, defensive coordinator Chris Culig, and former Idaho State head coach John Zamberlin, who is currently on Rocky's staff.
Another question that may need to be answered is if Chrz, now the former AD at Eagle, will maintain her position on the Board of Directors with the Idaho High School Activities Association. Chrz currently serves as the state girls athletic coaches representative.
Sources told IdahoSports.com that they don't expect Chrz to have to resign from her position, so long as the group she represents (the girls coaches) feels the same way and that she can represent them as she has in the past.
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