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Post by coachcb on Mar 31, 2007 8:04:50 GMT -6
This guy is a GREAT COACH;
Mike Cole has resigned as Bozeman High School boys basketball coach, saying late Friday night he was told either to resign or be fired.
"I chose to resign," Cole said. *
Cole said he was given the option by Bozeman High athletic director Randy Russell. When contacted earlier in the day, Russell declined to comment and referred all inquiries about the matter to the school's personnel department.
Bozeman School Board trustee Sarah Glover said Friday night that she was called earlier in the day by Superintendent Mike Redburn and was told that Cole had submitted his resignation. Attempts Friday to contact Bozeman High School principal Godfrey Saunders, Redburn and other members of the school board for comment and more details were unsuccessful.
Cole coached the Hawks for 20 seasons, won more than 300 games and five state championships. His 2006-07 team finished 15-8 and earned a berth in the Class AA state tournament. He won his last state championship in 2003, when the Hawks finished 24-0.
Cole's resignation quickly became public knowledge Friday night during the Harlem Globetrotters' visit to Montana State's Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, thanks to Bozeman High and MSU graduate Danny Faaborg, who played for Cole in the late 1990s. Perched at the top of the west bleachers, Faaborg held up two signs during the game. One read: "Let Coach Cole resign when he wants to." The other read: "Victories? Discipline? Principles? What do you want BHS?"
Faaborg said he had met Friday morning with Cole, who had told him then that he had been given the option of resigning or being fired. That prompted Faaborg, who had planned to play Friday night in the Wayne Estes basketball tournament in Anaconda, to attend the Globetrotters' game instead.
"What has happened is a discredit to the community," Faaborg said. "I am here because I don't think people in Bozeman understand what is happening to a special person. This is completely baffling to me. It's very upsetting."
Casey Durham, another former Hawk and a current Bobcat, said he was stunned by the news.
"It's a bad deal," he said. "He's an amazing coach. They're just running him out."
Former longtime MSU head coach Mick Durham attempted to put the situation into some sort of perspective: "The longer you're in a place, unless you win every game, it's hard to please people. That's just the way coaching is. He should feel great about what he's accomplished. There is life after coaching and that's exactly what I'll tell him.
"I'm obviously very disappointed. We lost a good coach. But I know how he's feeling."
Kamala Hale, whose son, Patrick Webb, played on this year's team, said Cole had resigned earlier this week but then changed his mind.
"Mike turned in a letter of resignation," Hale said, "and then me and a few other people grabbed him and said, 'Hey, don't do this.' So he managed to get the letter back, but they kept a copy of it and they basically told them if he went out quietly, they'd give him a banquet, and if he didn't resign, he would be fired."
When asked if Cole had resigned, Webb, a junior, replied, "As far as I know."
When asked if he could explain why his coach had made the decision, Webb said: "I think a lot of it had to do with players talking to their parents about little things like playing time. That's been going on the majority of the season."
A parent of a former player, who asked not to be identified, said she's "thrilled" that Cole is no longer coaching.
Webb, who mostly came off the bench this year, said he had double knee surgery in July in order to be ready to play this season. Now he says his days as a Hawk might be over.
"I started playing basketball in the eighth grade and I was really uncoordinated," Webb said. "(Cole) taught me so much. To see a good coach like that go for stupid reasons is sickening. And it makes me not even want to play next year."
Cole's teams advanced to the state finals nine times and 18 of his 20 teams to the state tournament, 13 of which placed in the top three.
The last time the Hawks made it to the state championship game was 2006, when they lost to Great Falls High, which is coached by Bob Howard. Cole and Howard were former teammates on MSU's freshman team.
Chronicle sports writer Jim Cnockaert contributed to this report.
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Post by coachcb on Mar 31, 2007 8:11:03 GMT -6
This coach is a class act too; his players walk out of the program not only with trophies, but with integrity, discipline and a strong work ethic. He is arguably the best basketball coach in Montana right now.
The school has had constant problems with parents complaining about cuts and playing time. Apearantly, there were a group of parent after him with a vengance this year (playing time and cuts) and the AD got involved. The coach talked about resigning earlier in the week, but his players talked him out of it.
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Post by fbdoc on Mar 31, 2007 8:16:06 GMT -6
These things are never pretty. Hopefully he'll find a school that wants what he has provided for kids and next season he'll find himself in a position where he is happy.
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Post by coachcb on Mar 31, 2007 8:29:20 GMT -6
I don't know if it'll even come to that. There really has been a community out-pouring in this case; he was a popular coach. I think he'll be back next year. Unfortunately we have parents in this town that can afford to sue, which tends to be the heart of the issue.....
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Post by coachd5085 on Mar 31, 2007 8:38:22 GMT -6
Just a quick question... why do citizens have so much power in education..and so little of it in other matters. I was thinking that today. People can't dictate our policy in Iraq where theie sons and daughters are dying, but they can dicate policy in education when their sons and daughters don't do well on tests or play enough on the field/court.
Just a thought. This is similar to a situation here in South LA with a pretty famous basketball/baseball coach at an elite New Orleans school. He is a "love him" or "hate him" guy.
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have a situation where the PARENTS turned on each other in cases like this. Just flat out tell it like it is "I am glad your kid isn't playing because he would ruin MY kids chances of a winning season" Just would love to sit back and enjoy some popcorn and watch that show.
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Post by coachcb on Mar 31, 2007 9:34:51 GMT -6
Cuts have always been an issue in basketball and volleyball at this school. The beginning of every season is filled with problems; parents going through the roof about cuts.
The coaching staff on these teams are smart though; they video tape EVERYTHING, all season long. If there is an issue with a cut; they have video footage showing exactly why the kid has been cut.
I coached down at that school and in the school district for 4 years; 2 of those years under this current AD. We always had issues with the parents, but it became more than a nuisance when this AD took over. His meetings with the coaching staffs all dealt with liability and NOT GETTING SUED. He never sets objectives or expectations for the staff-other than NOT GETTING SUED..He caters to the parents because he is terrified of them.
I sank my own boat when coaching in the district because a parent was upset that I was using PG-13 language on the sideline. Should've watched my mouth and I resigned over it. However, this basketball coach is a stand-up respectable guy; his kids and most of the parents love him. He really is a developmental guy; if you make the cut at the freshman, sophmore, and JV level, YOU WILL PLAY. Obviously the same doesn't go for varsity (and why should it?)- the best kids get the playing time.
Bottom line is cut and dried; he'll either come back and coach as the school next year, or he'll end up an assistant at the college level.
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Post by phantom on Mar 31, 2007 10:05:40 GMT -6
Stuff like this makes me sick. A similar situation just happened at the HS that I graduated from. The longtime HS- the only football coach the school had ever had- was forced to retire. The core of his staff had made it known that they would not work with the new coach (they had a replacement in mind and has been on the faculty for a couple of years) so they were out, too. One of them is well known by many on this board. Over 300 wins and a state championship weren't good enough. They were done in by a few sub-par recent seasons, small town politics, parents, and old grudges. The good news is that they were almost immediately hired by the neighboring school district, who couldn't be happier to have them. What I wouldn't give to be able to get up there to see their game next year.
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Post by coachcb on Mar 31, 2007 12:50:08 GMT -6
Bottom line in this situation; IF THIS GUY'S JOB ISN'T SAFE IN THE COMMUNITY, THEN NO ONE'S IS!!
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Post by ajreaper on Mar 31, 2007 15:38:14 GMT -6
Hopefully the new coach doesn't play the same kids who did not play much this year and it'll be coaches 2 parents 0. Honestly who wants to work for a gutless AD anyway? He's better off stepping down because it's just not worth the stress and frustration that comes with that.
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Post by coachcalande on Mar 31, 2007 17:17:03 GMT -6
My experience is that when a big money booster is unhappy a coach can be chased away. Shoot, lets not forget that guys like Tom Landry and Don Shula were let go too...it happens to the best of us. When I was 12 my girlfriend said it best about a coach being fired "people are stupid"...
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Post by coachcb on Mar 31, 2007 21:01:54 GMT -6
Calande- you have no idea how true that is in this case..... There is big money in the community and the boosters put a lot of money into athletics. There are folksa around here that put thousands into the athletic dept.
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Post by coachcalande on Apr 2, 2007 6:01:54 GMT -6
you got it, and those big spenders carry some weight with decisions...dont let anyone tell you otherwise.
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Post by coachcoyote on Apr 3, 2007 0:44:31 GMT -6
When you have to dole out playing time in order to keep your job, maybe it's time to get out of that job. Revenge is sweet but it doesn't carry as much weight as class.
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Post by brokenbat on Apr 3, 2007 1:23:18 GMT -6
Gopher Hockey Coach Don Lucia said it best when he said the best coaching job was in an orphanage so there would be no parents!
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Post by coachcb on Apr 3, 2007 7:46:57 GMT -6
There is more to the story; appaarently there was some bickering over playing time and cuts and the coach made some comments that upset a group of parents. The parent's threatened a lawsuit and the coach was given the opportunity to resign. The AD wasn't the bad guy in this case as the article made him out to be; his superiors told him that the coach needed to go.
I don't know what the comments were or how inflammatory they were. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much in this area to get a lawsuit thrown against you. In my time in the district there have been 4-5 situations where law suites were being used as leverage against coaches and teachers His comments could have been really out of line or it could've been simple PG-13 language, you just never know.
Although this particular AD does tend to cater to the parents, this situation wasn't his doing as I assumed and the article implied.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2007 8:41:51 GMT -6
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Post by phantom on Apr 3, 2007 9:40:58 GMT -6
My God! No baseball hats in school? The man's a monster!
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Post by coachcb on Apr 3, 2007 9:52:15 GMT -6
Well, at least the administration is backing him a little on this. It's good to see that this being resolved and dealt with. I knew there would be HUGE community outcry in this situation. The guy may not be the most popular with everyone (WHO IS) but he's produced one of the best programs in the state.
This is tough for me because I don't want the football program getting sucked into this crap. The HC of the program is the BEST COACH I have ever worked with or under; classy guy who's great with the players and great for the community. He will turn football around in this town if given the chance, but he has to be given the chance.
In any other community, I would've assumed thet the coach said or did something WAY out of line to draw this kind of a situation. But having coached here, I know what the politicing can be like. It's good to see that the AD is taking a stance against the whiny parents.
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Post by ajreaper on Apr 3, 2007 15:11:45 GMT -6
LOL, no soda in season and no hats? If drinking soda and wearing hats are more important to kids then being part of the basketball team then they need to simply not play rather then want to be part of the team but only on their terms- with kids that's generally a recipe for sure failure. I thought folks in Montana were supposed to be the tough hardened outdoor types? My dad was born and raised in St. Regis and most of his entire family worked in the mines in Butte before they closed- I think he'd be pissed about this whiney crap from Big Sky folks.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2007 15:40:24 GMT -6
Bozeman isn't typical Montana. This is the town where they had a poorer part of town declared a blight zone so someone could buy up the land cheap, then turned and built $750,000 condo's and put a wall around it.
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Post by coachcb on Apr 3, 2007 15:45:31 GMT -6
Yup- that's Bozeman for you..... The city will also enact "imminent domain" laws so that they can bulldoze a trailer court to the ground and build townhouses. The people owned the trailers, but not the land. So the city will give them $20,000 and kick them out of their homes.
BTW- the people in the "blighted" area happened to be retirees who have lived in the town all their life.
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Post by coachcb on Apr 6, 2007 16:53:48 GMT -6
Update #1
Super: Cole wasn't given ultimatum
By Gazette News Services Super: Cole wasn't given ultimatum
BOZEMAN - Superintendent Mike Redburn said Bozeman High boys' basketball coach Mike Cole was not given the option of resigning or being fired from his coaching job.
Cole said he submitted a letter of resignation early last week and when he asked for it back Friday was "given the option to resign or be terminated upon the recommendation" of athletic director Randy Russell.
On Monday, Cole withdrew his resignation, citing "a miscommunication with the administration and me." Redburn said Tuesday he was unaware of any miscommunication, and added, "at no time prior or during his two resignations was he told if he didn't resign, he would be fired."
Redburn said coaching contracts are one-year contracts.
"If we determine not to have a coach back, its not that we fire them, it's just that we don't give them another contract," he said. "After the season's over, until the coach gets that next contract, they don't have a contract for next year."
Redburn said all Bozeman coaches are evaluated after each season regarding their coaching and organizational skills, discipline, relationship with students, enthusiasm, self control and poise, initiative, communication with school administration and staff and relationship and communication with parents.
Cole has received overwhelming support.
On Sunday night, more than 60 backers met in a Bozeman hotel to discuss their feelings. The group had hoped to speak at next Monday's school board meeting, but Redburn said no such item is scheduled on the agenda.
School board meetings do include time for public comment on non-agenda items, but "the board is prohibited by law from hearing comments on personnel and personnel issues during the public comment section," Redburn said.
Many have speculated that parents unhappy with their son's playing time led to displeasure with Cole.
Redburn said that was not and never will be a factor.
"If parent complaints dictated coaching contract renewals," he said, "we would have a new head coach in every sport, every season."
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Post by coachcb on Apr 6, 2007 16:56:08 GMT -6
Update #2
Cole: Situation will be resolved
By Gazette News Services BOZEMAN - Boys basketball coach Mike Cole and the Bozeman School District have been in discussions over his coaching contract.
"I'm still the coach of the Hawks. Through talks with the district administration, I believe this situation will be resolved," Cole said in a statement to The Gazette Thursday night.
Cole announced his resignation last Friday night after saying he was given an ultimatum to resign or have his coaching contract terminated. Earlier this week, superintendent Mike Redburn denied that Cole had been given such an ultimatum.
One of the most successful coaches in state history, Cole received an outpouring of community support. He's coached the Hawks for 20 seasons, winning over 300 games and five state AA championships. There has been speculation that some parents did not like his coaching methods or playing time for their sons.
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Post by coachcb on Apr 6, 2007 17:03:05 GMT -6
Love that-
"We weren't going to 'fire' him, we just weren't going to give him another contract."
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Post by coachcb on Apr 6, 2007 17:05:09 GMT -6
There has been a huge community outcry- letters to the editor, calls to the superintendent, etc.... The administration just reeling after this; it looks like the majority of the parents parents are backing him and are going to get his job back.
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Post by coachcoyote on Apr 7, 2007 15:05:54 GMT -6
Is there justice in the world? Or is the administration listening to the majority of parents happy with the program/coach, as opposed to the few disgruntled parents? I think the administration caved because it wasn't the squeaky few, but the loud many. Keep on doing the right thing.
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Post by coachcb on Apr 7, 2007 16:01:52 GMT -6
Nothing been solved in terms of the bigger picture ;several angry parent were ALLOWED to cause an uproar and it blew out of proportion. The administration is backpedaling now; just trying to save face.
Here's something cute that we'll all enjoy. A kid that was cut from the team was in the stands of a home game, congratulating a visiting team for beating the squad he couldn't make. His exact words.
"You can come back and beat us anytime, guys"
This kid's parents were the ones that eventually caused the whole sh-t storm in the first place.
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