One-year tenure of Mitch Mitchener ended last week
By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
A familiar face will be back at Eastern Alamance this fall.
John Kirby will be back on the Eastern Alamance football sideline for the 2025 season after what turned into a retirement of one season.
Kirby has been named interim coach of the Eagles to fill an unexpected June vacancy.
“We were used to having life without football and now it has jumped back,” Kirby said of himself and wife, Lisa. “We’re jumping back into it.”
Last week’s resignation of Mitch Mitchener led to Kirby returning to the coaching post that he once held for 32-plus years.
Kirby is back in the position slightly more than 12 months after a community and school celebration recognizing his retirement. That came complete with a proclamation read by Mebane mayor Ed Hooks. Kirby also had been Eastern’s athletics director.
Kirby’s potential return to the Eastern program had been a conversation topic around Alamance County since late last week. It was approved as part of the Alamance-Burlington School System’s personnel report at Monday night’s board of education meeting.
“It came together in a short period of time,” Kirby said. “I was asked if I could help out. It was kind of late in the game.”
Unlike the football coaching position at Cummings that became vacant in late May, ABSS didn’t post a job opening for the Eastern football position. Emily-Lynn Adkins, chief communications officer for ABSS, said Tuesday that interim hires are considered appointments and can be expediated while “making sure the team can progress.”
Kirby, 63, was in the mountains late last week celebrating his 33rd wedding anniversary. He has been working a part-time job with the Mebane Recreation and Parks Department.
“Now I’m coaching football at Eastern Alamance High School,” he said.
He said as unexpected as the developments have been during the past week that at least he’s familiar with the school and football program. He’s an Eastern alum and worked in the district for 39 years.
“If you’re going into this blind, that’s one thing,” he said. “When you’re at a place 39 years, it becomes a part of your life.”
Yet quite a bit has changed since Kirby gave up the reins. More than half of the coaching staff turned over, while he only attended home games last year. He said at kickoff of the first 2024 game there was a sickening feeling when he wasn’t in a coaching role.
A couple of months ago, he became a grandfather.
Kirby said that Mitchener had a solid blueprint for the summer. Much of that will be maintained.
“I think he had a good plan.” Kirby said. “I think he put together a really good coaching staff.”
J.T. Kirby, the coach’s son, remains as an assistant coach. Many of the elder Kirby’s former assistants had pledged allegiance to him several years ago, vowing to remain on board until he retired. Now that he’s back, several of them have reached out to him, though it’s unclear what involvement they might have.
John Kirby oversaw his first workout of the year Tuesday.
“It’s late notice. The kids were very respectful,” he said. “We just have to get over the initial surprise or shock.”
Mitchener, who was a head coach for the first time, hasn’t commented about his departure from the coaching position. He’s a former Western Alamance athlete and assistant coach.
The Eagles, who had a 3-8 record last year, open the season August 22 at home against Eastern Guilford.
