CV picks longtime assistant Ryan Butner as new football coach

Ryan Butner put his handprints on the Central Valley football program long before the head coaching job opened.

Two years ago, Butner, a 1996 CV graduate, overhauled the Bears’ offense, introducing a no-huddle, spread attack.

Rick Giampietri, who resigned in November as head coach after 23 years, said the offensive change was long overdue.

“It was keeping up with the times,” Giampietri said.

Butner, 37, now will find out what it’s like to be in the driver’s seat. He was approved as Giampietri’s successor at a board meeting Monday night.

“This was pretty much the one and only job I was looking for,” Butner said. “It means everything to me. I know the culture of the kids and I know a lot of the families who have been through CV. I’ve been around CV pretty much my whole life.”

Butner was one of five finalists interviewed. The other four were head coaches. The list was trimmed to three before his selection was sent to the school board.

He served 18 years as an assistant to Giampietri.

Giampietri, 67, sounded like a proud father handing the whistle and clipboard over to Butner.

“He’s got a lot of experience, enthusiasm and youth,” Giampietri said. “He started coaching for me when he was still in college. He will do a great job.”

Giampietri plans to coach with Butner as a defensive assistant.

“How do you turn down all that knowledge,” Butner said of his mentor. “Obviously he’s taught me everything. He knows more in his little pinky than I know in my whole life, so he’s a very good resource to have.”

Longtime assistant and offensive coordinator Rick Sloan said Tuesday he’s stepping down. He’ll continue as the head boys basketball coach.

Butner praised Sloan for his influence on his coaching.

“He’s been a huge part of teaching me organization and leadership and how to be a head coach,” Butner said. “I pick his brain as much as I can.”

Butner said he will be his own offensive coordinator. He plans to open all the assistant coaching positions.

He met Tuesday with Lake City defensive coordinator Travis Harmon.

“We’re going to take applications on both sides of the ball and start fresh,” Butner said. “There are some existing guys who might re-apply and I have some guys in mind. We’d like to have as many coaches in building.”

Butner interviewed more than two weeks ago. After athletic director Butch Walter offered the job, Butner was told he couldn’t whisper a word to anybody until the board approved it.

“It was very tough, very exhausting to fudge the truth with my friends and not lie,” Butner said.

Butner, who teaches physical education and health at CV, is married with three children. His oldest, a son, is 9 years old and he has 6-year-old twins – a boy and a girl. His wife also teaches at CV.