The search for a new Greenville High School athletic director and head football coach may be coming to close.

Opelika High School quarterbacks coach and two-minute offense coordinator Ben Blackmon has emerged as the top choice to replace Bryant Vincent and the coach was invited to a meet and greet with the Tiger Pride Club Monday morning.

&#8220Bryant Vincent is gone,” Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon said. &#8220He's not coming back and we've got to move on.”

Although McLendon was quick to introduce Blackmon as the new head coach, Butler County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney made sure those in attendance understood the job will remain posted and vacant until June 25, in accordance with Alabama law.

&#8220Let's make sure we don't get the cart before the horse,” Looney said.

Blackmon, 29, is a 1996 graduate of Robert E. Lee High, where he played under Spence McCracken, current head coach at Opelika.

From Lee, Blackmon earned a scholarship to play at Troy University, where he lettered at quarterback in 1998-99.

After graduating from Troy in 2000, Blackmon joined McCracken's staff at Opelika and has served in that capacity ever since.

Blackmon is the son of Greenville natives Larry and Jean Blackmon, with his mom being a 1967 Greenville High graduate. He is married to wife Misty and they have one daughter, Elle Caroline.

&#8220This is a dream job for me,” Blackmon said.

If Blackmon does become the next head coach at Greenville, he said he will be &#8220ecstatic.”

&#8220I haven't slept in days,” Blackmon said.

Since meeting with school officials and administrators about the job, Blackmon has been sitting in on workouts with the players.

Although he is pleased with what he has seen so far, he also knows there is much work to be done.

&#8220I think what Coach Vincent has instilled in these guys has helped a lot (during this transition),” Blackmon said. &#8220My ultimate focus is to get my staff in place and mentally and physically challenge these kids to compete, at everything, everyday.”

If hired, one of the first personnel moves Blackmon wants to make is to bring former Washington Redskin Michael &#8220Mookie” Moore on board an offensive line coach.

Moore played with Blackmon at Troy before being selected as the 129th pick overall during the 2000 NFL Draft.

&#8220These kids deserve success,” Blackmon said. &#8220That's my goal.”