After five seasons as the head coach of George Rogers Clark, Joe Chirico will be the next football coach at rival Montgomery County.

Joe Chirico is a Logan, West Virginia native and former defensive back at Marshall University. Chirico was a member of Marshall’s 1992 national championship team and the Thundering Herd’s national runner-up squads in 1991 and 1993.

Before arriving at George Rogers Clark, Chirico spent eight seasons as head coach at Paintsville High School. During his tenure, Paintsville reached the state championship game in 2019 and returned to Kroger Field in 2020, where the Tigers won the school’s first state football championship.

At Paintsville, Chirico compiled an 86–20 record (.811) over eight seasons, winning five district championships, three regional championships, and one state championship, along with a state runner-up finish. Under his leadership, the Tigers also produced one Kentucky Mr. Football winner, two runners-up, and 30 collegiate football players. Prior to his arrival, Paintsville had a 24–44 record over the previous seasons.

In his second season at George Rogers Clark, Chirico guided the Cardinals to a 5–0 start, the program’s best since 2008. The team finished the season 7–4 and was eliminated by Tates Creek in the first round of the KHSAA Class 6A state playoffs. Overall, Chirico had a record of 25 wins and 33 losses.

Chirico announced his resignation from GRC on December 17.

George Rogers Clark has proven to be a tough place for postseason football success in Class 6A. The Cardinals play in a district with Frederick Douglass, Bryan Station, and Madison Central. Their sister district is Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Tates Creek. If they advance into he regional, they find themselves matched up with Ryle or Louisville powerhouse Trinity.

Montgomery County, in Class 5A, is matched up with East Jessamine, West Jessamine, and Madison Southern. Their sister district is North Laurel, South Laurel, Pulaski County, and Southwestern.

Montgomery County Schools made the announcement on Monday morning on Facebook: