Walker resigns as

Jays head coach​

Football Jays hire Bailey,
built dynasty at Lamar

Loeffler's Link

June 8, 2020

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. ---  As disappointing as last week was for Jefferson City Jays football fans, this news should lift some spirits.

And lift them in a big, winning way.

The most dominant head coach in Missouri the past decade, Scott Bailey, was named the new head coach of the Jays on Tuesday, joining a program that was once the best in the state for four straight decades.

Bailey, 53, who will also teach strength and conditioning at the school, replaces Terry Walker, who resigned last week after going 6-14 in two seasons.

When the phone rang, Bailey said the decision was beyond easy.

Let's just say he didn't play hard to get.

"I told them up front," he said, "that if they offered the job, I was going to take it. Just the opportunity ... when people ask me what interested me, well, when you talk about the history of high school football in the state of Missouri, you're not going to get very far into that conversation before you mention Jeff City.

"It's a tradition-rich program."

(Bailey and I had a lengthy conversation Tuesday night, and we'll delve into much more with him Thursday on Loeffler's Link.)

Without question, this is a good hire --- and when you consider it's happened this late in the process, it's a great hire. Bailey will be formally introduced Thursday.

"We are excited to welcome coach Bailey as the new Jays head football coach," Jefferson City High School Activities Director Chad Rizner said in a release. "His accomplishments at Lamar are impressive.

"Building a program that won seven consecutive state titles shows that he has the ability to attract and keep kids in the program, and then coach them to perform at a very high level."

Bailey led Lamar, his alma mater, to seven consecutive Class 2 state championships from 2011-17, including a wild 69-41 win over Blair Oaks in the 2012 title game.

In 14 seasons at Lamar --- a football program that was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 --- Bailey compiled a mark of 151-41. In his championship seasons, the Tigers went a combined 98-5, including 43-0 the last three years.

Bailey stepped down as Lamar's head coach in December after the Tigers' 10-3 season, which ended with a loss in the quarterfinals. The year before, when the championship streak was snapped, Lamar went 12-2, losing the Lathrop in the semifinals.

The following week in the 2018 state title game, Blair Oaks blasted Lathrop 54-0.

Bailey has proven to be a dominant winner, and he joins the program that was the most dominant in Missouri from 1960-2000. But he also inherits a program that's had three straight losing seasons for the first time since 1949-51.

We'll see, stay tuned. Here's hoping there's actually a football season we can watch and talk about.

Scott Bailey, 53, who directed Lamar to seven straight Class 2 state football championships from 2011-17, has been named head coach of the Jefferson City Jays.

Chris Leuckel