Three weeks ago there was no timeline set for filling the head coach vacancies at both Southside and Dallas County High Schools, but during Monday’s Dallas County Board of Education meeting, board members ended the search and filled the vacancies.

With football practices scheduled to begin Monday, Dallas County will be led by Willie Moore, while Southside will begin a new era under head coach Bertram Crum.

The decisions came after some discussion during the board’s work session prior to the scheduled board meeting.

The appointments were part of a number of personnel decisions approved by the board.

“We feel great,” assistant superintendent of education Don Willingham said. “We’ve got a great crew coming in. All but one are familiar with the school system.”

Moore, who will also teach driver education at Dallas County, is also Dallas County’s basketball coach. Crum was a former physical education teacher at Tipton Middle School before signing on as the Panthers’ football coach.

“Moore wanted to take on football as a challenge … Crum had some students at Tipton,” Willingham said. “Every student at Southside has come through Tipton first. They have a great respect for him (Coach Crum).”

The two schools were without coaches after Dallas County coach Darryl Burns’ position was not renewed due to a loss of teaching units at the state level for all schools and Southside coach Lemuel Jones decided to retire.

Praise Park Ministries Church in Valley Grande will host a meeting for all parents of Dallas County High football players Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The board also hired Marcy Burroughs of Tuscaloosa as Southside’s assistant principal and Sharon Streeter, former Valley Grande Elementary principal, as special education coordinator for the county.

“Burrough will be a super addition,” Willingham said. “Streeter has been principal at Shiloh and at Valley Grande for the last three years. Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning we will advertise for Valley Grande’s position.”