Following the recent retirement of legendary head coach Scott Horner, the  Columbia High School football program is now in the hands of a longtime sidekick who bleeds blue through and through.

Scott Germain was named head coach of the football Eagles during a special school board meeting held Monday evening. 

“I’m very grateful to be the head coach at Columbia,” he said Tuesday.

A Class of 1991 graduate of CHS, Germain played football for the Eagles under his father, the late legendary head coach Jerry Germain, from 1987-1991.

After going 57-28 in nine seasons as head coach in Dupo, Jerry went 53-15 in six seasons for Columbia from 1987 to 1993. Jerry’s 1992 Eagles football squad went 12-1 – losing only to Moweaqua Central in the IHSA Class 2A state semifinal.

Scott has served 28 years as assistant coach for  CHS football – the past 25 years as defensive coordinator under Horner. 

There has obviously been a great deal of success with Columbia football during that period – Horner compiled a record of 171-84, and his teams qualified for the playoffs 19 times. 

Germain was a big part of all of it.

“There’s a solid foundation, and it’s a great community,” Germain said of his new role. “I want to treat this program like a family, since football is family to me.”

Germain has also served as a successful head coach of the Columbia girls basketball team for many years. In fact, he recorded his 300th career victory in late January.

His children, daughter Calli (Class of 2013) and son Jared (Class of 2018), also graduated from CHS. In fact, Jared also played football for the Eagles.

The outgoing head football coach – who will still serve as Columbia’s athletic director for another school year – expressed high approval for the hiring of his longtime assistant as a successor to a program that is very much steeped in football tradition. 

“Coach Germain is very deserving and has earned the opportunity to continue to lead this program,” Horner said. “He will do an outstanding job, and I couldn’t be more happy for him and his family.”

Horner said Eagles football runs through Germain’s veins, and his dedication is second to none. 

“He could have left to be a head coach years ago, but he stayed here where he grew up playing, and that in itself speaks volumes as to his character and commitment to Columbia football,” Horner said.