Warsaw cross country head coach Scott Erba announced Friday that he is resigning from the position. (Photo by Mike Deak)

WARSAW – Warsaw Community High School cross country coach Scott Erba announced his resignation from his duties as cross country head coach on Friday.

Erba’s leadership and training has guided the Lady Tigers’ cross country program to become one of the top in the state over the past seven seasons, including the past five seasons he served as head coach. Through increased participation and training, the Lady Tiger track and field program has continued its stride in front of most in similar fashion. Erba indicated he will continue to coach track and field at WCHS.

As the current track season begins full swing, while understanding that the cross country training will continue on the day after the track state finals in early June, coach Erba announced his resignation in order to ensure his successor will have time to plan and prepare for the summer conditioning program necessary for a successful fall cross country campaign.

In Erba’s four years as head coach, the Tigers have captured four Tiger Classic Championships, two NLC crowns (2011, 2015), four sectional titles (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015), and three regional championships (2011, 2013, 2015).  Prior to Erba taking over the head coaching role, Warsaw qualified for only one team title, however all four of his teams reached Terre Haute for the state finals competition (2011 – 11th, 2012 – 19th, 2013 – 21st, 2015 – 12th).

The Tigers also had some outstanding individual achievements as well over a dozen runners earning All-Conference honors, a 2011 state champion and 2012 Mental Attitude Award winner (Ashley Erba), and 13 Academic All-State selections. During his tenure, coach Erba trained 20 of the fastest 25 5K runners and 35 of the fastest 50 5K runners in school history.

Erba was not the program coach in 2014, serving as a team consultant for then head coach and current program assistant Matt Campbell. The program still won NLC, sectional and regional crowns in 2014 as well as placed in the state finals as a team.

In coach Erba’s guidance as head coach, the WCHS girls cross country team more than doubled in size, going from 25 student-athletes participating in 2011 to 53 participating in 2015.

The school did not name an immediate replacement as head coach.