After sorting through applications for potential coaches from several states, Escambia Academy is one step closer to naming a head football coach.

The Cougars have been searching for a replacement since athletic director and head football coach Heath Gibson resigned last month.

A committee was selected by the school to find a replacement and that person could be announced in the coming days.

Word has gotten out that the school had found its candidate and EA board president Chris Kirk said the school might have found the coach it needs.

“I think we have found the righ coach and right fit for our school,”  Kirk said Friday. “The candidate we have chosen will help take the school forward and the football program to the next level.”

The unnamed candidate has a long resume to highlight his coaching career with more than 25 years of experience in the public school system, Kirk said.

The excitement for the 2012 season is already building, Kirk said.

“It’s going to be a fun time next season,” he said. “I’m ready to see what happens.”

The search to find a replacment for Gibson was swift.

In an interview on Jan. 6, EA headmaster Betty Warren said the school had received a large number of applications from several different states.

“At this point, we have taken applications and a committee began to review them on Thursday night,” she said. “We have had a huge number of applications sent in for the position. We have received them from coaches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi and Vermont.”

With a head football coach ready to be named, the Cougars will continue to search for a head coach for the baseball program.

Gibson also coached the baseball team taking over last spring after former head coach Josh Daugett was relieved of his duties.

Candidates have been found, but availability has been an issue, Kirk said.

“We are still looking for a baseball coach,” he said. “We have had some interest, but the candidates we have liked are under contracts, so we wouldn’t be able to get them until next year.”