With practices starting in less than a month, Dunkirk is looking for a new varsity football coach.

Previous coach Mike Sarratori moved on after last season and the city school district still hasn’t replaced him. Team practices begin Aug. 23.

At a Tuesday workshop meeting, Dunkirk Board of Education President David Damico expressed dismay that the position is still open.

“This is way too late,” he said. “I don’t think this is a good practice.”

Damico added that assistant coaches will also be needed once the head coach is hired, and he fears that coaches and players won’t have enough time to get to know each other.

Athletic Director Al Gens responded that he listed for a football coach in May, and hadn’t received any applicants until this week. Gens, himself, took over for Sarratori, who was athletic director as well as head varsity football coach.

District Superintendent Mike Mansfield was not available for comment Thursday.