kepdawg
05-16-2007, 06:35 PM
Burk resigns after two seasons as Cougar head coach
BY ANDREW MAY, Staff Writer
(Created: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:08 PM CDT)
Two years ago, Dan Burk was brought in to rebuild the boys athletic program, and the football team in particular, at The Colony High School. He began the revitalization process immediately and was making demonstrable progress in both regards. Mr. Burk won’t get the chance to realize the goals he set forth upon his arrival following the somewhat stunning announcement of his resignation Friday.
Mr. Burk, who improved a winless team his first year into a four-win squad last season, turned in his letter of resignation to The Colony administration one week prior to the annual spring scrimmage. He suffered a mild heart attack May 6 and was hospitalized briefly before returning home. His health has slowly improved over the last week, but his reasons for leaving remain largely uncertain.
“I mainly felt it was the best thing to do for myself and the program,” Mr. Burk said. “I think there was a difference of opinions and thought it was best to move on.”
The conflicting attitudes stem chiefly from Mr. Burk’s son Dane, a junior who started both ways for the team at various points throughout the 2006 season. Several parents, who wish to remain anonymous to avoid “certain retribution,” felt like Dane received preferential treatment from his father. While Mr. Burk refused to comment on the issue, one parent felt like it caused an unavoidable controversy.
“I like the guy personally, I just think pushing for his son cost him,” the father said. “We as parents are pretty football savvy. You can see when one person is getting preferential treatment. It looked like he was just pushing to get Dane a scholarship.”
Lewisville ISD Athletics Director Neal Wilson said he asked Mr. Burk to remain at his post as head football coach and boys athletics coordinator, but was told by Mr. Burk that it was in his best interest to resign. Wilson admitted there were some conflicts going on within the program, but refused to elaborate further.
“It’s a personnel matter,” Wilson said. “I’m not going to get into it.”
The root of the disagreement seems to date back to last season and the Little Elm game in particular. Quarterback Nick Jones, a senior who led the team in passing last season who will continue his career at Harding University on scholarship, was yanked in favor of Dane as the team drove towards the end zone in the fourth quarter. At least one player didn’t agree with the switch under center and voiced his concern. Wide receivers coach Keri Timmerman, who left last week to take a position at another high school in the area, allegedly grabbed the player in an attempt to quell his dissatisfaction.
“The kid was sick and tired of seeing the senior quarterback being pulled from the game and the coach’s son being put in,” another parent said.
Mr. Burk said he didn’t see the incident, but did acknowledge the school sending a letter to parents following the game detailing the appropriate behavior for all fans in attendance. He referred to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) rule which states that coaches should “instruct participants and spectators in proper sportsmanship responsibilities and demand that they make sportsmanship the No. 1 priority.” When parents tried to meet with Mr. Burk to discuss this and other problems, they were blocked by a barrier.
“He insulated himself,” one man said. “He refused to speak to anyone or acknowledge anything. He did nothing to show me he was an open-minded individual. It took his own coaching staff imploding on him. These coaches were gagged and hand tied, and performed based on what they were told to do.”
To be fair, it isn’t uncommon for coaches to decline discussing matters such as playing time, as it can open up a whole different can of worms.
“We never meet with anybody to discuss that,” Mr. Burk said.
Some parents just wanted to converse about general matters, but were pushed away at every turn.
“His biggest downfall is that he didn’t involve the parents,” said one man, who never heard a word from a single coach, even after his son suffered a relatively serious injury. “They just took the parents out of the equation. I just don’t think the coaching staff cares about the team. I don’t know because they never spoke to me. I don’t think it is all Burk, it’s the whole staff. If you lose the parents’ involvement, you lose the program.”
TCHS football booster club president Hank Pivarnik, whose son James will be a senior next season, fully supported the coaching staff and its efforts to resurrect the program. Pivarnik said he saw Mr. Burk several times prior to the announcement of his resignation, but didn’t receive any comment from him personally.
“He chose not to,” Pivarnik said. “I’m disappointed he’s chosen to leave. He’s done a lot of good things for the football program.”
Pivarnik stated that he didn’t have any “beef” with Mr. Burk or his coaching philosophy, but was aware of issues, though he couldn’t be specific on anything because he didn’t have firsthand knowledge.
“You’re always going to hear negativity whether the team is 10-0 or 0-10,” Pivarnik said. “Someone is going to find fault either way. It is always easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback. The decisions that were made, good or bad…you just have to deal with the consequences.”
UIL Compliance Officer Ed Stidham disclosed that several parents from The Colony had issued complaints about Mr. Burk, but wouldn’t elaborate further. An open records request sent to the UIL wasn’t received as of press time. UIL Athletics Director Charles Breithaupt didn’t immediately return phone messages.
Grumblings on several forums on the Web site www.InTheColony.com suggested that the coaching staff, and Mr. Burk in particular, misrepresented statistics from several games. According to UIL policy, “each team shall make a complete report in duplicate of every game immediately after the game.” One is sent to the chair of the district committee and one is filed at the school. Frisco ISD Athletics Director David Kuykendall, who serves as the District 9-4A chair, said he only receives game scores. The complete log, including a play-by-play account of the game replete with in-depth statistics, is sent every weekend after games to an outside service run by Maury Salinger. Salinger, who has kept up with 9-4A games for the past three years and will do so again next season, then compiles the data and sends it to each of the district’s eight head coaches. Attempts to contact Salinger for statistical verification purposes were unsuccessful.
“I personally can’t see Dan doing that,” Centennial head football coach Mark Howard said.
Others don’t share that conviction.
“A lot of it is hearsay, but I look at it [statistics] and think, where the heck was I at,” one said. “I didn’t see it. Several people have told me they felt pretty confident it [distortion of statistics] was occurring.”
While it can neither be confirmed nor denied at this point, the fact remains that The Colony will be employing its third different coach in four years when the first game of the season begins. Wilson has said he plans on staying within the staff for the next hire, an overriding view most people familiar with the program share. The frontrunners to be Mr. Burk’s successor seem to be long-time assistant Larry Donaldson and Rudy Rangel, who served as the assistant head coach last season.
“I’d like to see someone internal,” Pivarnik said. “Bringing someone from the outside at this point could be a real challenge.”
Mr. Burk’s main focus right now is getting his health fully restored and finding a school for Dane to finish out his high school career.
“I love coaching and want to coach,” Mr. Burk said. “I’ll just have to look at the various opportunities, whether it is college or high school.”
Lewisville ISD superintendent Dr. Jerry Roy refused comment on the resignation of Mr. Burk via his secretary. Messages left for Rangel and TCHS principal Becky MacDonald weren’t returned.
BY ANDREW MAY, Staff Writer
(Created: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:08 PM CDT)
Two years ago, Dan Burk was brought in to rebuild the boys athletic program, and the football team in particular, at The Colony High School. He began the revitalization process immediately and was making demonstrable progress in both regards. Mr. Burk won’t get the chance to realize the goals he set forth upon his arrival following the somewhat stunning announcement of his resignation Friday.
Mr. Burk, who improved a winless team his first year into a four-win squad last season, turned in his letter of resignation to The Colony administration one week prior to the annual spring scrimmage. He suffered a mild heart attack May 6 and was hospitalized briefly before returning home. His health has slowly improved over the last week, but his reasons for leaving remain largely uncertain.
“I mainly felt it was the best thing to do for myself and the program,” Mr. Burk said. “I think there was a difference of opinions and thought it was best to move on.”
The conflicting attitudes stem chiefly from Mr. Burk’s son Dane, a junior who started both ways for the team at various points throughout the 2006 season. Several parents, who wish to remain anonymous to avoid “certain retribution,” felt like Dane received preferential treatment from his father. While Mr. Burk refused to comment on the issue, one parent felt like it caused an unavoidable controversy.
“I like the guy personally, I just think pushing for his son cost him,” the father said. “We as parents are pretty football savvy. You can see when one person is getting preferential treatment. It looked like he was just pushing to get Dane a scholarship.”
Lewisville ISD Athletics Director Neal Wilson said he asked Mr. Burk to remain at his post as head football coach and boys athletics coordinator, but was told by Mr. Burk that it was in his best interest to resign. Wilson admitted there were some conflicts going on within the program, but refused to elaborate further.
“It’s a personnel matter,” Wilson said. “I’m not going to get into it.”
The root of the disagreement seems to date back to last season and the Little Elm game in particular. Quarterback Nick Jones, a senior who led the team in passing last season who will continue his career at Harding University on scholarship, was yanked in favor of Dane as the team drove towards the end zone in the fourth quarter. At least one player didn’t agree with the switch under center and voiced his concern. Wide receivers coach Keri Timmerman, who left last week to take a position at another high school in the area, allegedly grabbed the player in an attempt to quell his dissatisfaction.
“The kid was sick and tired of seeing the senior quarterback being pulled from the game and the coach’s son being put in,” another parent said.
Mr. Burk said he didn’t see the incident, but did acknowledge the school sending a letter to parents following the game detailing the appropriate behavior for all fans in attendance. He referred to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) rule which states that coaches should “instruct participants and spectators in proper sportsmanship responsibilities and demand that they make sportsmanship the No. 1 priority.” When parents tried to meet with Mr. Burk to discuss this and other problems, they were blocked by a barrier.
“He insulated himself,” one man said. “He refused to speak to anyone or acknowledge anything. He did nothing to show me he was an open-minded individual. It took his own coaching staff imploding on him. These coaches were gagged and hand tied, and performed based on what they were told to do.”
To be fair, it isn’t uncommon for coaches to decline discussing matters such as playing time, as it can open up a whole different can of worms.
“We never meet with anybody to discuss that,” Mr. Burk said.
Some parents just wanted to converse about general matters, but were pushed away at every turn.
“His biggest downfall is that he didn’t involve the parents,” said one man, who never heard a word from a single coach, even after his son suffered a relatively serious injury. “They just took the parents out of the equation. I just don’t think the coaching staff cares about the team. I don’t know because they never spoke to me. I don’t think it is all Burk, it’s the whole staff. If you lose the parents’ involvement, you lose the program.”
TCHS football booster club president Hank Pivarnik, whose son James will be a senior next season, fully supported the coaching staff and its efforts to resurrect the program. Pivarnik said he saw Mr. Burk several times prior to the announcement of his resignation, but didn’t receive any comment from him personally.
“He chose not to,” Pivarnik said. “I’m disappointed he’s chosen to leave. He’s done a lot of good things for the football program.”
Pivarnik stated that he didn’t have any “beef” with Mr. Burk or his coaching philosophy, but was aware of issues, though he couldn’t be specific on anything because he didn’t have firsthand knowledge.
“You’re always going to hear negativity whether the team is 10-0 or 0-10,” Pivarnik said. “Someone is going to find fault either way. It is always easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback. The decisions that were made, good or bad…you just have to deal with the consequences.”
UIL Compliance Officer Ed Stidham disclosed that several parents from The Colony had issued complaints about Mr. Burk, but wouldn’t elaborate further. An open records request sent to the UIL wasn’t received as of press time. UIL Athletics Director Charles Breithaupt didn’t immediately return phone messages.
Grumblings on several forums on the Web site www.InTheColony.com suggested that the coaching staff, and Mr. Burk in particular, misrepresented statistics from several games. According to UIL policy, “each team shall make a complete report in duplicate of every game immediately after the game.” One is sent to the chair of the district committee and one is filed at the school. Frisco ISD Athletics Director David Kuykendall, who serves as the District 9-4A chair, said he only receives game scores. The complete log, including a play-by-play account of the game replete with in-depth statistics, is sent every weekend after games to an outside service run by Maury Salinger. Salinger, who has kept up with 9-4A games for the past three years and will do so again next season, then compiles the data and sends it to each of the district’s eight head coaches. Attempts to contact Salinger for statistical verification purposes were unsuccessful.
“I personally can’t see Dan doing that,” Centennial head football coach Mark Howard said.
Others don’t share that conviction.
“A lot of it is hearsay, but I look at it [statistics] and think, where the heck was I at,” one said. “I didn’t see it. Several people have told me they felt pretty confident it [distortion of statistics] was occurring.”
While it can neither be confirmed nor denied at this point, the fact remains that The Colony will be employing its third different coach in four years when the first game of the season begins. Wilson has said he plans on staying within the staff for the next hire, an overriding view most people familiar with the program share. The frontrunners to be Mr. Burk’s successor seem to be long-time assistant Larry Donaldson and Rudy Rangel, who served as the assistant head coach last season.
“I’d like to see someone internal,” Pivarnik said. “Bringing someone from the outside at this point could be a real challenge.”
Mr. Burk’s main focus right now is getting his health fully restored and finding a school for Dane to finish out his high school career.
“I love coaching and want to coach,” Mr. Burk said. “I’ll just have to look at the various opportunities, whether it is college or high school.”
Lewisville ISD superintendent Dr. Jerry Roy refused comment on the resignation of Mr. Burk via his secretary. Messages left for Rangel and TCHS principal Becky MacDonald weren’t returned.