JOHNTOWN — When Gary Schultz resigned abruptly last week, it left a void at Rivercest ISD, but it didn't take long for the school's board of trustees to fill the athletic director and head football coaching vacancy.
Schultz resigned last week to take a job in Iraq as a fitness instructor with a private company after spending three seasons as head football coach and athletic director for the Rebels.
The Rivercrest school board met Wednesday in a special meeting and promoted Charles Swann to the position of athletic director and head football.
Swann was offensive coordinator for the Rebels this past season and was former head football coach at Rivercrest in 1993-94 before leaving the sidelines for two years.
"We were all kind of surprised with Gary leaving, but we all wish him the best," said Swann. "Going to Iraq is a good situation for him, one that he felt like he couldn't pass on."
Schultz, who left over the weekend for Iraq, was named head coach at Rivercrest two years ago, but the Rebels did not field a varsity team in 2002, forfeiting their district schedule in the process. In 2003, they went 0-10 in Class 2A before dropping down to Class A for the 2004 season.
Last year, Rivercrest showed promise on the field, going 4-6 overall and 2-4 in District 17-2A.
Swann was head coach at Rivercrest for two seasons in 1993-94, but he got out of coaching in 1995 in order to watch his son, Craig Swann, play at Southern Methodist University. Craig Swann led the Southwest Conference in tackles that year.
Charles Swann, 55, has coached at several schools in the East Texas area during his 29-year career. Before coming to Rivercrest in 1993, he was athletic director and head coach at Quitman for eight years. He spent a total of 11 seasons at Quitman (1981-1992). He begin his coaching career as an assistant at Mount Pleasant, then went to Mineola for four years, and Rains for two seasons before going to Quitman.
When he got back into coaching in 1996, he landed in Gilmer where he spent four years an an assistant coach. He then went to Mount Vernon for a season before coming back to Rivercrest.