Rob Reader, an assistant coach at Pleasure Ridge Park High School the past seven years, has been named the new football coach at Moore.

Reader, 46, is a 1989 Doss graduate who got his first coaching job as an assistant at Manual in 1996. Reader said he’s been friends with Moore principal Robert Fulk for nearly 20 years.

“He asked if I was interested, and I started thinking about it,” Reader said. “I believe in what he stands for and decided to take a shot. I’m grateful to him and (Moore athletic director) Tim Gentry.”

Reader will replace Carlo Stallings, who stepped down in January after posting a 10-11 record over two seasons. Gentry said then that Stallings’ resignation was the result of an investigation surrounding the use of an ineligible player in the Mustangs’ 59-12 loss to Boyle County in the first round of the Class 3-A playoffs last November.

Along with coaching at Manual, Reader also was an assistant at Lakeview (Michigan) before joining the PRP staff in 2010. He was the Panthers’ offensive line coach the past three seasons.

Moore is expected to return several key players off last season’s 7-4 team, including sophomore receiver/defensive end J.J. Weaver (18 catches, 153 yards, one touchdown) and freshman quarterback Rae’Von Vaden (2,064 passing yards, 20 touchdowns).

The Mustangs will move up to Class 4-A, District Three during the 2017 season, joining Breckinridge County, John Hardin, Valley and Western. Reader said he already is putting together a staff that will include offensive coordinator Harry Vinegar and defensive coordinator Vernon Williams, who was an assistant coach at St. Xavier last season.

“Offensively we’re going to spread it out and throw the ball,” Reader said. “We want to have an attacking defense. We want to play offense on the defensive side of the ball. … We want to build on that success and momentum they created last year.”

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.