After 24 years overall and six years as head coach, Erik Speakman is out as Opelika High’s football coach.

Speakman told AL.com on Thursday morning he was told the school was moving in a different direction.

“Basically, I got fired,” he said. “I did not resign. Resigning means quitting, and I wasn’t going to quit on these kids. I was not retained.”

Speakman has been an Opelika mainstay for most of his coaching career.

After graduating from Auburn, he served on Terry Curtis’ first UMS-Wright staff in 1999 before then-coach Spence McCracken hired him at Opelika. He served as an assistant for McCracken, Brian Blackmon and Caleb Ross before being promoted when Ross left following the 2017 season to take the Prattville job.

Speakman went 45-25 as Opelika’s head coach.

His team spent the first four years as head coach in Class 6A, going 36-14 and reaching the state quarterfinals three times and the semifinals in 2019. Opelika was bumped to 7A two years ago, and it’s been more of a struggle in the tough Region 2.

The Bulldogs were 5-5 a year ago and finished this season at 4-6, missing the playoffs both years. They lost four of their last five games this season. They are idle this week.

“We appreciate coach Speakman’s dedication to our football program and our student athletes,” said Dr. Farrell Seymore, Superintendent of Opelika City Schools, in a statement.

The school system said details regarding the search for a new head football coach will be released at a later date.

“It was a good 24 years,” Speakman said. “I hate it ended this way. Moving to 7A was really tough. I was given zero reasons for the move. I’m going to guess it was because we didn’t make the playoffs the last two years because we had been in the quarterfinals and semifinals the four years prior.”

Speakman said he was hoping 36 seniors returning next year would give him a chance to get the Bulldogs back to the playoffs. He said he was told he would be paid until the end of the year.

“I don’t know what is next,” he said. “Obviously, I’m not going to make a decision today. We will pray about it and see what the Lord has in store for us next.”