Mike Loyd: I had not been looking for another job; Joplin came to me

Mike Loyd, who rejected an offer to become Joplin High School's head football coach Tuesday, told the Grove Sun he had not applied for the position and that Joplin had contacted him.

Loyd said he had not been seeking other positions at the time of the Joplin offer, and that it was difficult to consider leaving Grove, in part because of his players' hard work, commitment and growth within the football program.

Joplin extended the offer to Loyd, a 1974 Memorial High School graduate, who held the JHS coaching position for two years in the 1990s, late last week. Loyd told the Grove newspaper he had asked for the weekend to think about it.

Loyd called to decline the offer just before the R-8 Board of Education met. An announcement of his hiring had been scheduled to take place during the meeting.