Sidney football coach Ekart resigns

The Sidney High School football team has been riding an exciting wave of momentum for the last two seasons, making the Class B state tournament both years under head coach Todd Ekart.

But if the Red Raiders are to make a third consecutive trip to the playoffs, they'll have to find their way under a new coach.

The Sun-Telegraph has learned that Ekart told the school's administration on Tuesday that he would be stepping down. Ekart said that his wife, Tami, has taken a new job as a hotel manager that will require their family to relocate to Kearney.

Tami Ekart will move in December to begin work, while Todd Ekart and the couple's 7-year-old daughter, Alison, will be moving in May.

"Sidney has been very good to us, but the opportunity for us to get closer to family is too good to pass up," Ekart said. "This is totally a family decision and not a football decision."

Ekart, who was an assistant at Beatrice before taking the reigns of Sidney's program in 2010, just completed his fifth season on the Red Raiders' sideline. He compiled a record of 16-32, with 14 of those wins coming in the last two seasons during the program's return to statewide relevance.

In 2013, Ekart earned his first playoff win with Sidney, as the Red Raiders defeated Blair, 36-26, in the opening round of the state tournament. Sidney nearly took down state powerhouse Gretna in the second round, but fell 24-17 in the final seconds of the game.

This season, Sidney took the field for its season-opener against Chadron with high expectations following a successful '13 campaign. With a 7-2 season record, the Raiders returned to playoff action, but lost a 24-14 decision to Seward in the first round.

Though Ekart will be leaving Sidney, he said he doesn't expect the program's recent stretch of success to disappear.

"The last few years here have been great and the seniors are a big reason that we have been so successful," Ekart said. "Their hard work and leadership was just what the team needed to establish the Sidney program as a contender and I think there is a good group of younger guys coming up that will continue taking the Red Raider program in the right direction."

Superintendent of Sidney Public Schools Jay Ehler met with Sidney Activities Director Mike Brockhaus and Sidney High Principal Chris Arent on Wednesday morning to discuss a plan to begin the search for a new coach.

Ekart has taught physical education and weight lifting classes at the school.

There's no specific timetable or list of potential candidates at the moment, Brockhaus said.

"We'll get a wide search going," Brockhaus said. "We're looking for the person who best fits the classroom and works best with the kids."