Bill Haisten

Tulsa World Sports Columnist

There is tremendous pressure on the first-year head coach of a football program that has consistently contended for championships.

There were leadership changes at Jenks and Union, but those new coaches don’t feel the heavy weight of great expectations any more than Kimes Gilbert — the new head man at Wagoner.

Dale Condict was 32 when he was hired to coach the Wagoner Bulldogs. Over the course of 20 seasons (2005-24), Condict’s teams made eight Class 4A championship-game appearances and won six titles.

What a great stat: Before Condict became the Muskogee head coach in December, each of his 20 Wagoner teams recorded at least one playoff victory.

Previously the head man at Class 2A Chisholm, Gilbert was 32 when he succeeded Condict at Wagoner.

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