The Marauders had one of their worst seasons ever this year, finishing with a 1-10 record, and losing on Thanksgiving Day to archrival Norwood High School. Many of the losses were by embarrassingly lopsided margins.

“We are opening up the position, as of today,’’ athletic director Michael Plansky said Wednesday. “We felt it was time to go in a different direction. It didn’t work out for Keith, but I have no doubt he will be a head football coach again’’ elsewhere.

This is Plansky’s first year as athletic director in Dedham and was Comeau’s third as head football coach.

In another change, Plansky said Dedham’s football schedule for the next two years would pit the Marauders against smaller schools. Dedham will remain in the Bay State Conference but will play only teams in the smaller-school Herget Division, and also will play teams from outside the league, he said.

“What we asked for — and what was granted — was to get some scheduling relief, so we can play games against teams that are more our size and [we can be] more competitive,’’ Plansky said. “We are trying to rebuild our program, and [the scheduling change] allows us to play on a more level playing field.

“We are about 750 students and we’re in a league with Weymouth and Framingham, which have more than 2,000 students. We won’t play Weymouth, Framingham, Newton North, and Needham’’ for the next two years, he said.

Plansky, who coached college basketball for 14 years before coming to Dedham from Marblehead High School, said he was optimistic about the athletic department’s prospects.

In addition to the revised schedule, Dedham will have new athletic facilities and a lighted field next year. The high school is renovating its weight room and hopes to redo the locker room as well, Plansky said.

“The future is very bright,’’ he said. “We went to the Super Bowl in 1988, and as recently as 2003, we won eight games. With a right person [as football coach], we can make Dedham strong again.’’

Comeau, who told the team Tuesday that he would not be returning, could not be reached for comment.

Johanna Seltz can be reached at seelenfam@verizon.net.