January 9th, 2026, at 8:00 a.m., West Branch’s official Facebook page posted a notification of an available position for Head Varsity Football Coach available immediately. So what does this mean for the Warriors? Has the previous football coach, Travis McDowell, been fired? Has he resigned?

A meeting was held later that day for seniors who played football, and another meeting was held for 7th through 11th-grade football players. At both meetings, Coach McDowell was present. The players were informed that Coach McDowell had not been fired, but the position had been made available due to the team’s low win rate. Coach McDowell had also stated that he was strongly urged to reapply by multiple board members, hinting at his rehiring. Over the past two years, Coach McDowell has had a disappointing record of 0-20. 

While this record seems very displeasing, both seasons Coach McDowell’s roster has been full of injuries with the most notable being: linebacker and lineman Stephen Page, who had multiple injuries throughout the season; quarterback and edge rusher Conner Danko, with a PCL tear in week four against the Trojans Mounties; and running back and edge rusher Max Gibson, who broke his tibia in week 2 against Cameron County. 

If West Branch decides to hire a new head coach, then this will be the fourth head coach the Warriors have had in five years. A change in head coach isn’t something to shrug off. It causes confusion among the players by creating changes in the playbook, changing practice routines, and breaking bonds the players have built with their coaches. This level of chaos makes it difficult to build a program.

When asked how he thought the head coach situation would affect next season, junior Max Gibson said, “I think the head coach situation is going to affect next season by offsetting our off-season training, such as lifting and running, because until they hire a coach, all of that training time will be delayed.”