Marquette releases Eustice as head football coach

Eustice will not be served at Ottawa Marquette.

According to the Ottawa Times, Ottawa Marquette will not bring back head football coach Jim Eustice next season.

The Crusaders went 1-8 this past season, Eustice’s fifth year at the helm, but gave more than one team fits along the way, nearly upsetting Bureau Valley in Week 9, and Amboy/LaMoille before that.

“We’re all on year-to-year contracts here, and I told Jim that I would not be renewing his contract for next year,” Marquette superintendent Ron Spandet told the Times. “It was an administrative decision that it was time to make a change.

“It’s never easy. Jim has been a loyal and valuable part of Marquette since his playing days here, and we appreciate that he’s done so much for the school.”

In a release given to the Times, Eustice said, “It has been a privilege and an honor to have been the head football coach at Marquette High School.

“My only focus during the last 19 years has been the best interest of the school and its students. Just as everyone else, we would have liked to have won more football games.

“This was not, however, due to a lack of hard work and dedication by our players and coaches.”

Eustice, a standout quarterback at Marquette, was 13-32 in five season back with the Cru.

Spandet told the Times the formation of the new Marquette Academy will delay the search for a new head coach. The high school is consolidating with St. Columba Grade School and St. Pat’s into Marquette Academy.