Local football coach resigns

WESTWOOD — We are less than three weeks away from the start of the first organized practices for high school football across the state of Michigan. And one local team is already going through some big changes right before the pads get on.

According to the NICE Community School District’s Facebook page, Westwood’s head varsity football coach John Jessen has resigned his position.

In his resignation letter to superintendent Bryan DeAugustine, Jessen says he would like to recommend that newly-appointed Assistant Coach Scott Syrjala be named the new head coach and Jessen serve as an the assistant.

DeAugustine says he will make both recommendations to the Board of Education as they reorganize the football staff. Jessen has spent the last nine season with the Patriots, leading them to a playoff appearance last year.