Roxboro, N.C. — Roxboro Person head coach Gary Merrill announced his resignation on Thursday with the goal of retirement, WRAL has confirmed with the school.

WRAL learned of the resignation on Thursday evening, and principal Margaret Bradsher confirmed the information early Friday morning.

Merrill started the football program at Panther Creek High School in Cary during the 2006-07 school year. The Catamounts brought Merrill out of retirement to help build their program, and he took their first every junior varsity team to a 7-0 mark in the school's first year of existance.

In January 2007, just two months after the conclusion of Panther Creek's first football season, Merrill was offered the head coaching position at Person. He accepted the job, saying this was never his plan, but that it was an opportunity too good to pass up.

The Person County School Board approved his employment as a physical education teacher on Jan. 18, and his new job was effective Feb. 12.

Merrill is best known for his outstanding teams at Northern Durham High School where he became known as one of the coaching greats in North Carolina. Former Northern Durham head coach Paul Rodio, a Northern Durham alumnus, and current Panther Creek head coach Wayne Bragg, coached under Merrill at Northern Durham.

Merrill also coached the North Carolina team in the Shrine Bowl in 2000.

Merrill led the Rockets to a 6-5 season in 2007, including a 5-2 mark in the PAC-Six Conference. Person received a playoff berth, but lost to Ardrey Kell in the first round, 31-14. The Rockets were forced to forfeit their first two games of the season - one to Burlington Williams, another to Oxford Webb. Person won both of those games on the field.

This marks the third time in five years that Merrill has resigned from a head coaching position. In 2003, Merrill announced his resignation from Northern Durham. Panther Creek hired him out of retirement in 2006, but he resigned in 2007.

If you have a tip about a coaching change or hire, please contact Nick Stevens at stevens@ncsportsreport.com.

Stay with WRAL.com for more on this developing story.