Tom Tice, one of Arkansas' most successful high school football coaches, has stepped down at Huntsville.
Tice made the move official at Monday night's school board meeting. He will remain with the school as the athletic director.
"I've thought about this for a long time," Tice said Tuesday. "This was something that I didn't want to rush into. I wanted to make sure this was the best thing for me and everybody concerned."
Tice has been a football coach for 45 years, with 42 of those as a head coach at both Huntsville and Harrison. He ranks second all-time in the state in career victories with 289, trailing only Frank McClellan with 367 wins.
Of the 289 wins, 217 came at Harrison where he built a powerhouse program and won a state championship. Tice also coached at Fayetteville Ramay Junior High School in 1973 as an assistant.
Tice said after the end of the football season in November he began to consider his plan to step down.
"They say you just know when it's the right time, and I just knew this was the right time," he said. "Last night was the first full night's sleep I've had in I can't remember when."
Tice said the school has begun taking applications for the position and will continue to take them for the next three to four weeks. He said the school is hopeful to have the new coach in place by mid-April in time for spring football practice. Tice said the school will look both inside the current staff and outside to find his replacement.
"We want a person who is going to be a good fit," he said.