HENRYETTA - When the Henryetta Golden Knight varsity football team takes the field in 2019, there will be a new head coach roaming the sidelines. Darin Johnson stepped down from the head coaching job at Henryetta High School recently after five years at the helm of the Golden Knight football program. Johnson took over as head coach in 2014 after coming to Henryetta in the Fall of 2013 to be an assistant coach under Brandon Turley. After Turley resigned after the 2013 season, Johnson was hired as Turley's successor, making the Henryetta native and former HHS student the third Henryetta head football coach in the 21st Century. During his 5-year stint as head coach at Henryetta, Johnson accumulated a coaching record of 14-38 and guided the Knights to the postseason in back-to-back seasons - 2015 and 2016. The last two seasons were not kind to Johnson and the Knights, finishing both campaigns with 1-9 records. Prior to coming to Henryetta as an assistant coach in 2013, Johnson also had coaching jobs at Okmulgee and Checotah. Below is Johnson's resignation letter to the Henryetta Boad of Education:

Dear Mr. Noble, Board Members, and Community, I came to Henryetta with the hopes of having a long successful career here. I was born and raised here. I was a member of the first class of Knights. I will always have a very special place in my heart for this community and school. I unfortunately will no longer be filling the responsibilities of being the Head Football Coach. In my stint here as coach I want you all to know I poured my heart and soul into all the young people I had the fortune to coach. I feel as though the program was successful in a lot of ways but the bottom line is we did not win enough games. It is my hope that the next coach has the success I was striving for. I wish the best for the program and the school and I sincerely thank you for the time you allowed me to be a part of your kids lives. I will fulfill the remainder of my teaching contract here in Henryetta and step down as the Head Football coach effective immediately. May God bless you all. Thank you, Darin Johnson