With the opening of the 2011 football season just more than a month away, Georgiana School is still without a head coach.

The Panthers’ head coaching position has been advertised on the Alabama State Department of Education Web site since February.

Butler County Schools Superintendent Darren Douthitt said on Wednesday that he expects the Board of Education to take action on a recommendation by Georgiana School principal Joseph Dean concerning the Panthers’ coaching vacancy at its next meeting.

“I believe Mr. Dean has almost reached a decision, and I expect that we will deal with that at our July 21 meeting,” Douthitt said.

Attempts to reach Dean for comment were unsuccessful, but in a previous interview with the Greenville Advocate Dean said he would not rush the hire.

“We won’t let time restraints be the determining factor,” Dean sad. “I think it is more important to search thoroughly and hire the right person for the job.”

The Panthers relieved first-year head coach Shawn Gregory of his coaching duties last fall after six straight losses to open the season. Athletics Director Kirk Norris, who is leading the coaching search, acted as head coach for the remainder of the season. Georgiana finished with a 1-9 record.

A coaching hire at Georgiana would mark the second in the past year for the BOE. In April, it approved the hire of Earnest Hill as Greenville High School’s head coach. Hill replaced Ben Blackmon who left to become head coach at Gulf Shores High School.