As much as many things will change for Chad Depee beginning next school year, some things will remain the same for the former Ozark coach.
Depee has confirmed he has accepted a job to join Branson coach Aaron Hafner’s staff as an assistant. It will be a reunion for Depee and Hefner, who were teammates at Southwest Baptist.
Depee will obviously remain a part of the COC and will also continue to live at his home just outside of Ozark.
Depee compiled a 32-52 W-L record in eight years at Ozark, while posting three winning seasons. The 2016 campaign was Depee's finest season, as the Tigers were 8-3 and posted the program’s only win against Webb City.
The Tigers averaged 20 points or more a game in five of Depee’s eight seasons.
Depee also was a head coach for five years at Monett and four years at El Dorado Springs.
Depee will continue to coach his son. Gage Depee will be a Pirate his senior year, after leading Ozark in rushing last season with 803 yards on 147 carries and topping the Tigers in tackles with 77, including five tackles for a loss and one quarterback sack.
Gage moved from running back to quarterback for Ozark’s final two games and completed 8-of-17 passes for 70 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown.
Ozark will host Branson in Week Eight next season. The Tigers beat the Pirates 28-7 last year. Ozark and Branson split their eight meetings during Chad Depee’s tenure with the Tigers.
Branson was 1-9 and outscored by an average of 27 points a game in its first go-around with Hafner at the helm. The Pirates have not had a winning season since 2010.
