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Buis exits for family, inability to give '100 percent' to football
When the Greencastle School Board approved the resignation of head football coach Josh Buis on Monday, the move was surprising and unexpectedly timed.
In his three seasons as head coach at Greencastle, Buis had guided the team to a 26-6 record, including an undefeated regular season in 2012.
"Coach Buis came to (high school) principal Russ Hesler and to me several weeks ago and told us that he was concerned that he could not give 100 percent to his job, his family and to the football program," GHS athletic director Greg Hill state in a release issued Thursday. "I appreciate that Coach Buis is the kind of man that will not be satisfied giving less than 100 percent to everything he is involed with.
"We are grateful for his many contributions. Coach Buis has given us great momentum, we have some very good players returning and we need to continue to work to make the program stronger."
Buis is COO of Scorpion Window Films, a growing international company based north of Cloverdale. His responsibilities at Scorpion forced him to miss practice time each of the past two season, including the weeks leading up to the South Putnam game this year and the sectional championship game last year.
During the 2013 season Buis also expressed concern about spending more time with his young son.
"It's all coming down to time," Buis told the Banner Graphic. "I love football. It's in my blood. But I can't put my name on something that I'm not giving 100 percent of my time."
A graduate of South Putnam High School and DePauw University, Buis was an assistant coaches at several different colleges before coming to Greencastle as defensive coordinator in 2010.
After one season as an assistant at GHS he was promoted to head coach in 2011. Greencastle won seven games in his first year. Following the season the Tiger Cubs organized fundraisers and volunteered to help victims of the tornado in Henryville.
"We have had as much success off the field as on it," Buis said. "We are proud of our community service, our trip to Henryville to help the tornado victims and the kind of citizens our players have become."
The Tiger Cubs had several seniors this season, including starting quarterback Tyler Scott and 2012 Putnam County Defensive Player of the Year Dustin Williams, but the football program remains stocked with talent.
The junior varsity team has had only a few combined losses in the past three years and three of the Tiger Cubs' top four receivers were underclassmen in 2013.
Greencastle had numerous players from its 2012 conference championship season begin college football careers in 2013 and the team still finished this year 8-2.
"We have been fortunate to have Coach Buis on our football staff for the past four years and we wish him nothing but the best," Hill stated. "(He) is an 'all-in' kind of coach with high energy and enthusiasm. I have never worked with a coach that has promoted his program more than Coach Buis."
Buis said he has no plans to return to coaching at high school or college and he is going to focus on his growing business commitments and being a father.
Greencastle will begin an immediate search to find the best possible candidate to lead the football program, Hill said.
The Tiger Cubs' offensive coordinator for the past few seasons, Dave Stephens, has also resigned in recent weeks. Stephens commuted for practice and games from French Lick this year.
Buis's resignation makes Greencastle the third football coaching job in the county to become open in the past three years. Only South Putnam has had its current coach in place since prior to 2012.
Candidates should send their letter of interest and resume to Greencastle High School in care of athletic director Greg Hill.