HighSchool Fan
04-08-2005, 12:05 PM
Coaching flap roils Pilot Point
Head football coach, one assistant have recently resigned
By Ethan B. Szatmary / Staff Writer
Turmoil continued to swirl around the Pilot Point High School athletic department this week following the resignations of the head football coach and one of his assistants.
Darren Hall
Assistant coach Darren Hall resigned Monday, one week after the resignation of head coach Mike Russell, who had been hired as the replacement for head football coach and athletic director G.A. Moore. Moore, Texas’ winningest high school football coach, announced his retirement in December 2004. Both Moore and Russell are now scheduled to leave the district at the end of this school year.
With rumors and gossip spreading around town about improper use of e-mail by coaches and promises that were allegedly made by the Pilot Point administration to both Moore and Russell, nearly 200 people in the Pilot Point school district turned out at a school board meeting Monday night to protest the resignation of Russell, the fifth head football coach to leave the school in as many years.
"Superintendents are always forced to deal with situations that they didn’t anticipate," Pilot Point Superintendent Cloyce Purcell said Wednesday. "A superintendent is going to make decisions that are not going to be popular."
COACHING FLAP
E-MAIL EXCERPTS
Responding to an anonymous tip, the Denton Record-Chronicle made an open-records request last week to obtain copies of all e-mails among the district’s coaches since January.
This request produced a 6-inch-thick stack of e-mails, most of which were day-to-day conversations between coaches about school business. Some of the e-mails, however, predominantly those among Russell, Hall, track coach Mike Segleski and assistant football coach Stephen Riddle, contained conversations of a private nature.
These e-mails contained personal information about various coaches and students at the school, occasional racial epithets, sexually derogatory comments about students, and attacks on school administrators and other coaches.
Mike Russell
"We were just talking like coaches talk in the locker room — coach speak," Russell said. "It never occurred to us that anybody would be interested in our e-mail. It was just the private way men talk among friends and colleagues. If there’s any blame for this, it should fall on me. The other guys are just young guys, and I’d hate to see their careers ruined over it.
"In retrospect, we should not have e-mailed it or put it in print."
Hall, Segleski and Riddle could not be reached for comment. No other coaches had resigned as of Thursday evening, but signed renewed contracts are due at the administration building today. Purcell said that the paperwork won’t be processed until Monday or Tuesday.
Prior to the start of the 2004-05 school year, all Pilot Point teachers and coaches attended a seminar conducted by Randy Stout, attorney for the Pilot Point school district, regarding the usage of e-mail and district computers. According to Stout and Purcell, the faculty signed an employee agreement over the proper usage of e-mail. Pilot Point school district policy regarding electronic communication and data management says that employees can be disciplined for improper usage of e-mail and fired for non-compliance.
Purcell said that the superintendent’s office by law cannot comment on personnel issues. However, Russell confirmed that disciplinary action was taken against Hall, Segleski and Riddle. But Russell denied that these e-mails or any disciplinary action taken because of these e-mails had a role in his resignation or the resignation or firing of any Pilot Point coach.
"No coach was fired because of his e-mail or forced to resign because of it. None." Russell said. "That’s not the reason I resigned. I resigned because when it came to the administration, I felt like I was already starting to have the same problems that coach Moore had that forced him to step down."
When asked to explain, Russell declined to elaborate.
Moore could not be reached for comment.
Russell also said that Purcell told him that Pilot Point High School Principal Steve Whiffen had requested that Hall, Segleski and Riddle be re-assigned to another school in the district.
Both students and parents spoke out against Russell’s resignation Monday night at the school board meeting — a meeting that had to be moved from the administration building to the Pilot Point Middle School to accommodate the crowd.
Sophomore Monty Chambers, a football, track and powerlifting athlete, represented a group of 20 students at the meeting. He said the students were frustrated after losing Moore and wanted Russell to stay.
"What happens now?" Chambers asked. "Are you going to have to start all over? We’ve gone through five head coaches in five years. Do we need to take a look at what is really going on in our school?"
The students attending the meeting and speaking out struck a chord with Purcell.
"I was proud of our kids," he said. "They did a good job. Their statements were well-prepared. I was proud of the way they stood up for what they believed. I want kids who care about Pilot Point. They make us stronger."
Since the subject of Russell’s resignation was not on the agenda for the school board meeting, the board could not address the students’ concerns, causing the students and their parents to leave the meeting in frustration.
Two parents interviewed by the Record-Chronicle initially defended the coaches, but changed their opinions when told of the nature of the e-mails.
"It’s frustrating because nobody would tell us why [Russell resigned]," said Larry Stuckley, whose sons Ethan and Jacob both play several sports for Pilot Point. "I know the law won’t let them, but it’s still frustrating. The board just sat there looking at us indifferently. I’m a proud papa, and I just want to see what is best for my children. We need leadership, and the administration won’t let the coaches lead.
"I was in the school board meeting when they promised coach Russell that he could pick his staff, and then they turned around and extended a coach’s contract without telling him."
When told about the e-mails, Stuckley remained critical of the administration, but also included the coaches in his criticism.
"I don’t know what was said in the e-mails, but if it’s really that bad, people need to go," he said. "That still comes down to leadership. It all starts at the top. We need better leadership."
Todd Laughry, a veterinarian who has three children in elementary and middle school in Pilot Point, at first reiterated Stuckley’s criticism of the administration.
"When you have four coaches leave in five years and you lose another one, it generally indicates that there is a problem," Laughry said. "The administration has not come through on their promises to the coaches."
When told about the e-mails, his attitude toward the coaching staff quickly changed.
"They were saying those things about students?" Laughry said. "If stuff like that was going on, then everybody involved — teachers or coaches — should be removed. It’s unacceptable stuff."
Purcell said he is doing his best to address those concerns.
"The responsibility for being a good role model is paramount to being a coach. The opportunity to impact lives is tremendous," Purcell said. "I want someone who wants to do for children. I want somebody who understands their obligations to the school district, the UIL, the board of trustees and the community. I want somebody that wants to teach and take kids and give them the very best they have to offer."
Purcell indicated that the administration office was currently investigating the organizational structure of other 3A high school athletic departments and would reconvene on Thursday to report their findings and begin searching for a new athletic director. Purcell has also asked Moore to assign a coach to oversee the summer workout programs until a new athletic director can be found.
Head football coach, one assistant have recently resigned
By Ethan B. Szatmary / Staff Writer
Turmoil continued to swirl around the Pilot Point High School athletic department this week following the resignations of the head football coach and one of his assistants.
Darren Hall
Assistant coach Darren Hall resigned Monday, one week after the resignation of head coach Mike Russell, who had been hired as the replacement for head football coach and athletic director G.A. Moore. Moore, Texas’ winningest high school football coach, announced his retirement in December 2004. Both Moore and Russell are now scheduled to leave the district at the end of this school year.
With rumors and gossip spreading around town about improper use of e-mail by coaches and promises that were allegedly made by the Pilot Point administration to both Moore and Russell, nearly 200 people in the Pilot Point school district turned out at a school board meeting Monday night to protest the resignation of Russell, the fifth head football coach to leave the school in as many years.
"Superintendents are always forced to deal with situations that they didn’t anticipate," Pilot Point Superintendent Cloyce Purcell said Wednesday. "A superintendent is going to make decisions that are not going to be popular."
COACHING FLAP
E-MAIL EXCERPTS
Responding to an anonymous tip, the Denton Record-Chronicle made an open-records request last week to obtain copies of all e-mails among the district’s coaches since January.
This request produced a 6-inch-thick stack of e-mails, most of which were day-to-day conversations between coaches about school business. Some of the e-mails, however, predominantly those among Russell, Hall, track coach Mike Segleski and assistant football coach Stephen Riddle, contained conversations of a private nature.
These e-mails contained personal information about various coaches and students at the school, occasional racial epithets, sexually derogatory comments about students, and attacks on school administrators and other coaches.
Mike Russell
"We were just talking like coaches talk in the locker room — coach speak," Russell said. "It never occurred to us that anybody would be interested in our e-mail. It was just the private way men talk among friends and colleagues. If there’s any blame for this, it should fall on me. The other guys are just young guys, and I’d hate to see their careers ruined over it.
"In retrospect, we should not have e-mailed it or put it in print."
Hall, Segleski and Riddle could not be reached for comment. No other coaches had resigned as of Thursday evening, but signed renewed contracts are due at the administration building today. Purcell said that the paperwork won’t be processed until Monday or Tuesday.
Prior to the start of the 2004-05 school year, all Pilot Point teachers and coaches attended a seminar conducted by Randy Stout, attorney for the Pilot Point school district, regarding the usage of e-mail and district computers. According to Stout and Purcell, the faculty signed an employee agreement over the proper usage of e-mail. Pilot Point school district policy regarding electronic communication and data management says that employees can be disciplined for improper usage of e-mail and fired for non-compliance.
Purcell said that the superintendent’s office by law cannot comment on personnel issues. However, Russell confirmed that disciplinary action was taken against Hall, Segleski and Riddle. But Russell denied that these e-mails or any disciplinary action taken because of these e-mails had a role in his resignation or the resignation or firing of any Pilot Point coach.
"No coach was fired because of his e-mail or forced to resign because of it. None." Russell said. "That’s not the reason I resigned. I resigned because when it came to the administration, I felt like I was already starting to have the same problems that coach Moore had that forced him to step down."
When asked to explain, Russell declined to elaborate.
Moore could not be reached for comment.
Russell also said that Purcell told him that Pilot Point High School Principal Steve Whiffen had requested that Hall, Segleski and Riddle be re-assigned to another school in the district.
Both students and parents spoke out against Russell’s resignation Monday night at the school board meeting — a meeting that had to be moved from the administration building to the Pilot Point Middle School to accommodate the crowd.
Sophomore Monty Chambers, a football, track and powerlifting athlete, represented a group of 20 students at the meeting. He said the students were frustrated after losing Moore and wanted Russell to stay.
"What happens now?" Chambers asked. "Are you going to have to start all over? We’ve gone through five head coaches in five years. Do we need to take a look at what is really going on in our school?"
The students attending the meeting and speaking out struck a chord with Purcell.
"I was proud of our kids," he said. "They did a good job. Their statements were well-prepared. I was proud of the way they stood up for what they believed. I want kids who care about Pilot Point. They make us stronger."
Since the subject of Russell’s resignation was not on the agenda for the school board meeting, the board could not address the students’ concerns, causing the students and their parents to leave the meeting in frustration.
Two parents interviewed by the Record-Chronicle initially defended the coaches, but changed their opinions when told of the nature of the e-mails.
"It’s frustrating because nobody would tell us why [Russell resigned]," said Larry Stuckley, whose sons Ethan and Jacob both play several sports for Pilot Point. "I know the law won’t let them, but it’s still frustrating. The board just sat there looking at us indifferently. I’m a proud papa, and I just want to see what is best for my children. We need leadership, and the administration won’t let the coaches lead.
"I was in the school board meeting when they promised coach Russell that he could pick his staff, and then they turned around and extended a coach’s contract without telling him."
When told about the e-mails, Stuckley remained critical of the administration, but also included the coaches in his criticism.
"I don’t know what was said in the e-mails, but if it’s really that bad, people need to go," he said. "That still comes down to leadership. It all starts at the top. We need better leadership."
Todd Laughry, a veterinarian who has three children in elementary and middle school in Pilot Point, at first reiterated Stuckley’s criticism of the administration.
"When you have four coaches leave in five years and you lose another one, it generally indicates that there is a problem," Laughry said. "The administration has not come through on their promises to the coaches."
When told about the e-mails, his attitude toward the coaching staff quickly changed.
"They were saying those things about students?" Laughry said. "If stuff like that was going on, then everybody involved — teachers or coaches — should be removed. It’s unacceptable stuff."
Purcell said he is doing his best to address those concerns.
"The responsibility for being a good role model is paramount to being a coach. The opportunity to impact lives is tremendous," Purcell said. "I want someone who wants to do for children. I want somebody who understands their obligations to the school district, the UIL, the board of trustees and the community. I want somebody that wants to teach and take kids and give them the very best they have to offer."
Purcell indicated that the administration office was currently investigating the organizational structure of other 3A high school athletic departments and would reconvene on Thursday to report their findings and begin searching for a new athletic director. Purcell has also asked Moore to assign a coach to oversee the summer workout programs until a new athletic director can be found.