Joseph High School baseball coach Calvin Word has resigned after three seasons.

Concerned over time constraints created by the combination of work and coaching, Word submitted his resignation at the Jan. 8 school board meeting. Athletic director Jason Crenshaw immediately started advertising for a replacement. He had received one application as of Jan. 11, but is withholding the name.

“I’m eager to find a candidate in time for the next board meeting” on Feb. 12, Crenshaw said.

An accountant with Edison, Hurley & Company in Enterprise, Word resigned after learning that treatments for lung cancer would force colleague Chuck Roberts out of work during the tax season. “I prayed about it and contemplated everything,” Word said. “It seemed that the likeliest thing to do was to step aside (from baseball) since we’d be missing a vital part of the firm in Chuck.”

In three seasons, Word compiled a 44-33 record. He led the Eagles to the 2007 state quarterfinals. In 2006, the Wapiti League voted both Word and Imbler’s Monty McIntosh Coach of the Year.

Word recommends Tony Gross, his pitching coach, as the person best qualified to take over the program.

“I don’t regret (resigning),” Word said. “In Tony, the team’s getting a great coach, if not a better one than I was. I’ll still be involved and I’ll do all I can to serve under Tony, the best I can.”

Gross had no comment.