Dave Hastings out as Lehi football coach

Lehi football coach Dave Hastings has stepped down from his post following the Pioneers' most successful season in recent years, he confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday night.

Hastings compiled a 9-21 record with the Pioneers, who were coming off consecutive winless seasons before he took the reins in 2011. The Pioneers were much improved last season, finishing 5-5, their best record since 2004.

Reached late Wednesday night by text message, Hastings said he did not see eye-to-eye with Lehi's administration, which resulted in him being asked to step down.

"One of the most important things in turning around any football program is it has to be the right fit," Hastings said in the text message. "When there's a change in administration, it sometimes brings with it different views and opinions that affect that fit. ...

"I'm grateful to Lehi and for the players, coaches and all those that supported what we wanted to do. I'm extremely pleased at where we have brought this program. When we took over in 2011, we took over a program that could not have been any lower. I look forward to my next challenge coaching and building a program and developing good young men."

Lehi principal Dave Mower said the decision to ask Hastings to step down was not necessarily based on the results on the field. Rather, there were aspects about the coaching job the administration and Hastings disagreed on.

"All I can really say is that in these 5A programs, there's many facets to that head coaching job," said Mower, who cited confidentiality when asked to be more specific. "I'll say Dave has done something people haven't done in a decade here — winning a significant amount of games. But it was just a matter of he and I looking at the head coaching job differently. ... We got to a point where we decided it would be best to part ways."

-Bubba Brown