Tyrone Head Football Coach Steve Guthoff resigned in an email to Tyrone school district administration on Tuesday afternoon.

Guthoff was about to begin his third season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles.

According to school administration, as recently as last week Guthoff had said that he would return for the 2014 football season.  The resignation was made public this morning on the Tyrone Area School District website.

The school stated that “normal procedures for filling the vacancy will be followed with the position being advertised and applications accepted.”

Rumors had been swirling recently regarding the future of the Tyrone football head coaching position.

The Altoona Mirror recently ran a story reporting that former Tyrone football coach John Franco may be leaving his position in Altoona with interest in returning to Tyrone.

In an email interview with the Eagle Eye on Monday evening, Franco did not confirm or deny the rumors, but did express interest in the job if it is available.

“[Steve] Guthoff is a good friend of mine and if he chooses to resign I might be interested in returning to coach. However, that is a decision for the school board to make,” said Franco, “regardless of what happens, I will always love Tyrone.”

The Eagle Eye attempted to contact Guthoff for comment, but did not receive a response.

Prior to Guthoff’s official resignation, reaction from upperclassmen on the football team was mixed, but the general attitude of the players who spoke to the Eagle Eye was to ignore the rumors.

“I don’t really care about what happens. I think that Tyrone should be about the players, not the coach. As far as I’m concerned, whatever happens, happens,” said junior Joseph Steinbugl.

“As [an upcoming] senior, we have to block out all the distractions and get ready for the season,” said junior Duane Boone, “it doesn’t matter who coaches because we as seniors and leaders on the team have to be those leaders who coach ourselves and lead the young ones in the ways we have been taught…They’re just there to manage us.”

“I am disappointed to see coach Guthoff leave. He was an inspiring coach and I’d like to see him still be apart of Tyrone coaching,” said junior Noah Tepsic.

“I think whoever the school board decides to hire as the next head coach, they’re going to look into it well and hire the person they feel is right for the school district and the football team and make the best decision that they possibly can,” said graduating senior team captain Seth Umholtz.

The district’s announcement of the coaching vacancy did not indicate a deadline for applications or a timeline for hiring a new coach.