The old saying goes when you become a coach you're hired to be fired but sometimes it's easier said then done.

The Okotoks Oilers have begun their search for a new Head Coach & General Manager after James Poole announced his resignation officially on Thursday.

Talks between Poole and President of Business & Hockey Operations Brad Robson officially ended earlier in the week when both parties couldn't come to an agreement.

In an earlier article Robson said with the team's recent financial struggles some decisions had to be made going forward in restructuring how the club was going to operate but didn't include the Oilers complete coaching staff of Bobby Fox, Jason Hanna and Derek Stuart.

Poole says he understood the struggles the team is currently having and offered to take a cut to keep his staff the same for the upcoming season.

"We did counter with an opportunity to keep our coaching staff together and based on the budget he's (Brad Robson) proposing this year so we could keep our coaching staff in tact," he says. "We'd all take some cuts and keep the coaching staff together and they chose not to accept that."

Poole was hoping he could see the team that he rebuilt this past season go through a couple of runs for an AJHL title in the next two years.

"It's frustrating not being able to see the rebuild we planned that through and in terms of the resignation it really was a situation where the coaching staff was all let go and they had chosen someone else to go on the bench with whoever the head coach was going to be. It would only be a two man staff and the rest of my coaching staff were let go and it put me in a position where unfortunately I had no other choice but to go in a different direction and look for new options."

Poole says as hard as it was to resign from the team he won't forget his time spent in Okotoks and the community as a whole.

"I love the town, the staff I worked with in terms of the Derek, Bobby, Jason and Mike (Elchuk) and working with the broadcast crew, game day volunteers was definitely a great time. But most importantly loved the players that I got a chance to work with over the last six years and definitely want to continue to work with hockey players and coach in junior hockey."

Poole who was nominated for Coach of Year three times in his tenure with the Oilers says since the announcement was released he's received a ton of support towards him hoping he'll land on his feet in coaching from his peers and now former players.

"The overwhelming disappointment that the direction they've decided to go in and in just the hockey community in general just the feedback I've gotten in terms of from current players, the hockey community, families I was recruiting, the other coaches around the league. It's definitely a great show of support and I appreciate that."

Poole leaves the Oilers as their all time wins lead as a coach with a record of  record of 218-109-26, nominated for AJHL Coach of Year three out of six seasons, one AJHL South Division Regular Season banner and two trips to the South Finals.

The team has already begun their search for Poole's replacement.