RAYLAND — The Buckeye Local Panthers football team will have a new face patrolling the sideline next year as coach Chris Kiedaisch has stepped down from his head coaching position after two years at the helm.

Kiedaisch is moving into an assistant position on the football staff at Bethany College.

“First thing would be — Coach Kiedaisch, we were lucky to have him for two years,” Buckeye Local athletic director Jeffrey Patrick said. “He did a lot of good for us. Enjoyed working with him. The kids, the staff, everyone appreciated him, enjoyed working with him and we wish him the best in his next coaching situation up at Bethany. And hopefully Bethany does well with him, and we think that they will.”

Buckeye Local went 2-8 in each of Kiedaisch’s two seasons with the team.

Before taking the head coaching position with the Panthers, Kiedaisch had been an assistant coach at The Linsly School for nine seasons.

He joins a Bethany Bison team that went 1-9 overall last season, 1-7 in the PAC.

Patrick said that the timeline to find Kiedaisch’s replacement is progressing.

“As far as the timeline for our next football coach, because it is a union position, it’ll get posted internally and then after that it could then get posted externally,” Patrick said.

“So hopefully we get to start some interviews and start that process within the next couple weeks. There’s no set timeline on when we’ll name a head coach, but obviously with football it’s sooner rather than later. Hopefully we get good, quality candidates and we can choose from what our administration and everybody thinks is best.”