Archbishop Wood head football coach Armstrong resigns during season
Citing personal reasons, Archbishop Wood head football coach Dave Armstrong has resigned a little less than a month into the 2024 PIAA high school season.
Armstrong met with the school's administration Monday to let them know of his decision.
"It was something that I had to do and I really appreciate the opportunity that was given to me at Wood," Armstrong said.
"I enjoyed my time there and I learned a lot. For right now, I just want to take a step back and spend more time with my kids."
Offensive coordinator Brian Goettner is expected to take over the program as the 0-3 Vikings prepare for their next game Saturday at Archbishop Carroll.
Central Bucks West grad Armstrong was named Archbishop Wood head coach in 2022
Armstrong, a 1998 Central Bucks West graduate, was named the Vikings' head coach in June of 2022 after being an assistant at the school for five years. He became the program's third head coach in five years after the departure of long-time head coach Steve Devlin in 2017.
The Vikings, who had to cancel the first two games of the 2022 season due to a lack of numbers, would finish 1-7 in Armstrong's first year and were 2-18 in his two-plus seasons.
Archbishop Wood dominated PIAA Class 5A for a decade
After a remarkable decade-long run of success in which the Vikings won PIAA Class 5A titles six times between 2011 and 2019, they have not had a winning season since the 11-3 2019 team defeated Cheltenham in the PIAA championship game.
Declining numbers (Wood is now in Class 4A enrollment wise), COVID and the numerous coaching changes have all played a role in the tailspin.
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"I'll be rooting for them, checking the scores, and cheering on the kids," Armstrong said. "I have no regrets because it was a great learning experience.
"I learned a ton about running a program and I wish them all of the best."
Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: High school football: Armstrong resigns as Archbishop Wood head coach
