Interviews for the vacant Oak Mountain High School football head coach position will begin Friday and conclude Saturday. Seven, possibly eight, finalists will interview for the job, said Oak Mountain principal Joan Doyle.

In late December, Doyle said she had received numerous applications form out of state coaches. None of those are in the final consideration.

“There’s a variety. They’re not all local people, but they are all instate people,” Doyle said.

She said that at least one of the finalists is currently coaching at a school within the Shelby County school system, but not a current head coach in the system. She refused comment as to whether that finalist was a current member of the Oak Mountain staff.

“I have given them (all finalists) my word that I will not put their names out in the media,” Doyle said.

She hopes to announce the new head coach late next week or early the following week, pending any follow-up interviews.

“I’m really going to try to hold to that by the end of January we’ll know who that person is,” Doyle said.

Oak Mountain head coach Jerry Hood resigned in early November after the Eagles completed the season Oct. 30.