Mayfield Coach Cliff Dew Resigns as a Wave of Changes Hits Kentucky High School Football

Mayfield High School announced the resignation of its head football coach, Cliff Dew, last Thursday.

Dew Was a Program Fixture

Dew led the Kentucky program for two seasons after spending 19 years as an assistant.

He took over the program from Joe Morris, a Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame inductee. Morris retired after the 2023 season.

“We respect Coach Dew’s decision and thank him for his hard work,” said Mayfield Principal Matt McMain in a statement. “We wish him and his family nothing but the best in the next chapter of his career."

The reasons for Dew’s departure were not disclosed.

Unconfirmed Reports Surface

An unverified post on X suggested that Dew’s postseason “challenges” led players to threaten to transfer, prompting his resignation.

Dew had success with the Mayfield program, fielding competitive team on the field in both of his campaigns.

The Cardinals posted a 10-2 record in 2025, going 1-1 in the state playoffs, losing to eventual 2A champion Lexington Christian.

In 2024, Mayfield went 9-3 in the regular season and 2-1 in the postseason, losing to Lexington Christian in the state quarterfinals.

Letcher County Central Also Sees Change

In other Kentucky high school football coaching news, Letcher County Central High School announced the retirement of head football coach Junior Matthews last Friday.

Matthews spent 10 years as the Cougars' head coach, compiling an overall record of 51-57. Last season, Letcher went 6-5 and lost to Knox Central in the opening round of the playoffs.

The beginning of Matthews’ tenure was difficult. The Cougars went 4-7 and 0-10 in his first two years in Whitesburg. He was able to right the ship, leading LCC to 47 wins and 37 losses, after that, and a 4-8 playoff record.

His retirement comes on the heels of the retirement and death of Middlesboro coach Larry French — the third winningest coach in Kentucky high school football history (381-182).

A Broader Shift Across the State

The changing of the guard in Bluegrass high school football this offseason is widespread. Officially, there are 224 football teams statewide, with coaching changes occurring in 25 percent of the programs.

High-Profile Openings and Hires

Notable vacancies happened at Male, St. Xavier, Cooper and Frankfort. Three of those positions have been filled. Chase Porter succeeds longtime Male coach Chris Wolfe. Brian Landis assumes leadership of the St. X program, and Dwight Sutton Jr. inherits a Frankfort team that went 0-10 in 2025.

Another Contender Loses Its Coach

Former Cooper coach Randy Borchers stepped down April 13, after leading the Jaguars to the 5A title game in 2023 and 2024. A specific explanation for his resignation wasn’t cited on the official Cooper Football X account.

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