SELINSGROVE -- Bill Scott, embattled coach of a Selinsgrove High football program that won 267 games in his 36-year career, has resigned.

Scott, 70, said the pending resignation of three assistant coaches and his stress-related stomach condition factored heavily in his decision to resign, effective Wednesday afternoon.

"It's time," said Scott, whose teams won nine Central Susquehanna Conference-Division I and District 4 Class AAA titles. "All good things must come to an end. It's time to move on.

"I have the physical strength (to continue), just not the mental resolve."

His resignation marks the end of a difficult year for Scott, which began with his hospitalization and multiple surgeries for a blood clot and hemorrhage in his brain, which occurred while Scott was visiting family in Louisville, Ky.

The veteran coach, told by doctors following the procedures that he may never walk or talk again, progressed through a remarkable recovery that allowed him to return to the sidelines this past fall.

Selinsgrove in 2007 advanced to the state Class AAA quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year, ultimately losing to eventual state champion Thomas Jefferson, 24-10.

The Seals finished 11-3 overall, and Scott was named the Class AAA Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania by The Associated Press.

Questions loyalty of assistants

The recent resignations of assistant coaches Dave Hess, Chip Moll and Derek Hicks ignited a firestorm in the Selinsgrove program, creating a divisive environment extending from the locker room into the community.

Scott wondered aloud about "questions of loyalty to me" with regard to his assistant coaches, in particular when he was hospitalized for six weeks in Kentucky.

When initially asked about the rumor that he had resigned as head coach, Scott said: "It's not a rumor. It's a fact.

"I've had three assistant coaches jump ship on me. Looking to replace three coaches, this late in the year. ... It's difficult to find quality people."

The loss of those assistants, all employed as teachers in the Selinsgrove Area School District, along with his health weighed heavily in Scott's decision.

"You have to look at yourself and your team," Scott said. "The only way for Selinsgrove to continue at a high level (in football) is if I stepped aside."