Ypsilanti football coach Dave Poole works on a drill with junior Harrison Porterfield during a preseason practice. (Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)

Dave Poole on Wednesday resigned from his position as head coach of the Ypsilanti High School football team.

"He and the athletic office were just moving in different directions," Ypsilanti High School athletic director Charles Fuller said. "We felt on both parties that him stepping down was the best thing to do."

Poole was in his fifth year as coach of the Phoenix, who have lost their first five games of the 2009 season. But the team's record, Fuller said, had nothing to do with Poole's resignation.

"It had absolutely zero to do with wins and losses, and much more to do with the way the program is moving generally," Fuller said, though he declined to offer specifics. "I can't say that it was one thing that made us go in that direction. It was just a buildup."

Poole, reached by telephone Wednesday night, said he had no comment. He inherited a program that hadn't had a winning season since 1999 and led the 2006 and 2007 teams to 8-2 records, consecutive Michigan Mega Conference division titles and MHSAA playoff appearances. The Phoenix were 5-4 last season.

Jason Malloy, who was defensive coordinator in his first year on staff with Ypsilanti, has been named interim coach for the remainder of the season.

A former linebacker at Western Michigan University, Malloy was a defensive coordinator for two years at his alma mater, Dearborn Heights Robichaud, a head coach at Lincoln High School in 2006 and an assistant coach for two years at Pioneer High School.

Although Lincoln went 0-9 during Malloy's only season there, he said it was the first time in 10 years Lincoln's football team averaged a 3.0 GPA.

"That's basically what I'm a coach for - doing things correctly, taking care of business academically, being respectful and being a good young man," said Malloy, a fifth-grade teacher at Ypsilanti's Chapelle Elementary school.

"That's how I try to build a program. Those are the same guidlines and principles I'm gonna stand by as I move through our last four games and try to turn around our season."

Ypsilanti will post the position after the season, Fuller said, adding Malloy "will be a candidate."

"I'm excited about it," Malloy said. "It's a little bit more of a responsibility, but I'm willing to take on the challenge. It's an exciting moment for me and my family to try and get Ypsilanti football back to where it was."

Ypsilanti hosts Dexter in its homecoming game at 7 p.m. Friday night.

Kaleb Roedel contributed to this report. Contact James Briggs at jamesbriggs@annarbor.com. Contact Kaleb Roedel at kalebroedel@annarbor.com.