Carrollton hires new head football coach

By Editor | March 24, 2026 |

By Carmen Ensinger

While Carrollton School Board made no move in open session one way or another to address the football co-op issue with North Greene, their action after closed session made their decision very clear.
Following closed session, the board hired Robert Buchanan as the new football head coach for the 26-27 football season. Buchanan was also hired as the high school PE/health teacher. The day after the board meeting, a letter was posted to social media with the following information from Superintendent Jason Bauer.
“At this time there have been no formal requests initiated by either the Carrollton CUSD or North Greene Boards of Education to engage in discussions for football co-op for the upcoming 2026 season.
“Both programs are members of the Western Illinois Valley Conference and must adhere to the bylaws and provisions outlined in the constitution of the WIVC Football Conference. In the event of an approved coop, one school must assume the responsibility of being the host school regardless of the name or mascot.
“Since both schools are members of the football conference, one of the two would be required to submit a letter stating their intent to withdraw from the football conference entirely. For a football school to withdraw from the conference, that school must provide a one-year notice in writing.
“Due to the time constraints, there is no way possible to meet the one-year notice requirement for the upcoming season. These rules are in place to protect the conference and to make sure that all schools have consistency with scheduling.
“Any deviation from this could cause instability and pose problems for other member schools. The position of the Carrollton CUSD Board of Education has been to adhere to the requirements of the WIVC Football Constitution.
“In referencing numbers that have been inaccurately reported in the media, a football sign up was conducted by our Athletic Director last month and there were 35 students who expressed an interest in playing football.
“With that data, the district feels that it can field a competitive football team. The newly formed Board Athletic Committee is meeting regularly to monitor and track participation members in football, as well as all athletic programs.
“It is our goal to come up with ways to increase numbers in all sports and to get more student athletes involved with extracurricular activities.
“While there may be no football co-op for the fall of 2026, the district has not closed the door on the possibility if the need should arise in the future. It is our goal to provide our athletes with meaningful opportunities in all sports and activities.
“The well-being and safety of our athletes will always be a priority. We are very proud of our student athletes, coaches and the athletic department for their contributions in making Carrollton one of the best and most successful small schools in all of Illinois.
“Numerous State appearances, as well as conference and tournament championships in all sports, is a testament to our success and our athletic department will continue to strive for excellence.
Finally, the District would like to commend and thank Coach Rodney Flowers for serving as our Head Football Coach for the past four years and for his contributions to our football program. We are very proud of the rich and storied history of our football program and remain committed to its success moving forward. We now turn our attention to supporting Coach Buchanan and the Carrollton Hawks football program during the upcoming 2026 season.”