Steven Tarter announced on Sunday evening that he is resigning as the head football coach at Bracken County High School.

Tarter has been the head coach of the Polar Bears for the last three seasons. He holds the school’s wins record with 22 wins and 13 losses. Bracken County finished as district runner-up the past two seasons to Beechwood before losing in the second round of the playoffs.

Coach Tarter’s son, Daulton, holds multiple program records as a running back. Daulton Tarter only played in half of the team’s 12 games this past season due to a recurring hamstring injury.

Despite the injury in his senior year, Tarter holds the school record for most rushing yards in a season and career and most rushing touchdowns in a season and career. He ran for 2,083 yards in 2024.

Bracken County graduates 12 seniors.

Just a resignation or is he going somewhere else?

21 minutes ago, TribeTime said:

Just a resignation or is he going somewhere else?

Just a resignation. 

I kind of figured this would happen, I just thought it may have happened a little earlier. With his son graduating and them as a team being senior dominant, with those guys having a great three year run.  It was going to be a rebuilding type year as Bracken. 

Former Polar Bear Eli Florer has to be THE list right? He’s coaching at Holmes on the defensive side of the ball I believe. 

9 hours ago, brooksville said:

Just a resignation. 

 

18 minutes ago, Pi said:

Former Polar Bear Eli Florer has to be THE list right? He’s coaching at Holmes on the defensive side of the ball I believe. 

Any assistant coaches in line to take over? Continuity would be good with the success of Tarter the last 3 years.

3 hours ago, Pi said:

Former Polar Bear Eli Florer has to be THE list right? He’s coaching at Holmes on the defensive side of the ball I believe. 

He got hired as the head baseball coach at Ludlow in June. 

13 hours ago, Pi said:

Former Polar Bear Eli Florer has to be THE list right? He’s coaching at Holmes on the defensive side of the ball I believe. 

Bracken County missed the chance to bring Coach Florer home a few years ago...He is the head baseball coach at Ludlow now after doing a great job as the head coach at Holmes for 3 years.  

On 1/19/2026 at 10:02 AM, brooksville said:

Just a resignation. 

Was this a case of wanting to coach son through high school? 

1 hour ago, The sarge said:

Was this a case of wanting to coach son through high school? 

Yes.

On 1/19/2026 at 6:46 PM, Pi said:

Former Polar Bear Eli Florer has to be THE list right? He’s coaching at Holmes on the defensive side of the ball I believe. 

He's at Ludlow. 

If Bracken County is placed in Class 1A for 2027-2028 it could make it easier to attract a coach. 

2 minutes ago, brooksville said:

If Bracken County is placed in Class 1A for 2027-2028 it could make it easier to attract a coach. 

I would think getting away from Beechwood would help things.

Edited February 20Feb 20 by theguru

1 minute ago, brooksville said:

If Bracken County is placed in Class 1A for 2027-2028 it could make it easier to attract a coach. 

Right, they basically have no chance in 2A but if Raceland and Pikeville have off years, 1A would be wide open. 

5 hours ago, theguru said:

Right, they basically have no chance in 2A but if Raceland and Pikeville have off years, 1A would be wide open. 

The Bishop Brossart, Nicholas County, Paris, and Bracken County district was perfect.  They are all in the same basketball region.  Bracken would have won that district the last two years. 

If Bracken is in 1A, I could see Nicholas, Paris, and Sayre together. 

They didn’t have a JV team last year which worries me, but I think their middle/elementary school programs have steadied to where there won’t be two or three straight winless seasons anymore.