Let Go.

Unless it's something you did wrong, screw em...it sounds like you were par for the course...again not a mathmetician, but 5 coaches in 10 years is a coach gone every 2 years, which would put you right on schedule. Sounds like an environmental issue coach

Sad to hear this coach. Joe six pack gets on the board, wants the job so his son can be starting qb and youre screwed. It happens. I hope you and your family land on your feet.

one door closes, another opens. with your history (playoffs two years ago) you will find more work. hopefully its in your conference where you can come back and kick their butts.

Sorry Walt, I was in your shoes one year ago. 7 very good years, good numbers in the program, always competitive, no issues. Called into the headmasters office and told "we want to go in another direction!" I know now it was the AD (my former assistant and Head basketball coach) who engineered it. Was told I could stay as Dean and still assist in Track but no football.

Started sending out resumes - around Feb. 1 was contacted by another school about their AD vacancy. Long story short - great school, great admin, great results .... and a great salary. Hang in there and good things will happen.

Aw man I'm sorry. I can tell from your posts that you put everything into this job and did right by the kids. That's all you can ask for. This is not your fault. Remember that if you have a hard time holding your head up. You did the right thing and you'll get your chance again in a better place. Remember that. You're better off getting out of there now instead of devoting year after year to these ingrates.

This has to be an environmental issue and it can't possibly be your fault. If it was, they would have explained why and what your status was. Someone with pull either doesn't have the patience to let someone turn this thing around or he wants to stick a crony in there for another 2 years until someone pleases whatever ridiculous, unknown standard he has. Maybe he expects 10 wins a year. Maybe he wants his kid to play at QB and throw every down. Who knows, and at this point, who cares?

When I was a player in HS, our HC got fired a year after taking us to the first playoff appearence in school history because the QBs parents didn't like him and our backstabbing OC (who was also his former college teammate, as well as an Alderman, the AD's brother, and a former star at the school's predecessor) wanted him out. Stuff like this is par for the course, and crappy things like this is why they lose every year.

In trying to look at the bright side... at least now you have some HC experience, which taught you a lot about football and yourself, plus it will look good on a resume. Hopefully this can be an opportunity for you to grow personally and professionally, which you can use in getting a better job. Those people clearly don't deserve you or any serious coach. I'm sorry for the kids, though.

walt--generally I abhor the super litigious society we have become. However, If you can't beat them, join them. I would look at the lawyer possibility, if for no other reason than VENGEANCE .

I am going through the same crap right now. The only difference is I have pain-in-the-a$$ board members on two school boards (co-op). It is emotionally painful when you know you have the players' best interest at heart. Luckily, I have a principal/AD who is on my side but I know it is only a matter of time. I am looking for another job and can't wait to start over. Hang in there--I am sure it happens more than one may think.

...another reason to fight:
Screw 'em. If it's worth it, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing I'd walked away. Would want them to know my name and that I wouldn't bow down to their dumbasz requests. I'm pissed just reading this thread.

This is one of the reasons I am contemplating getting out of coaching. I love it, but stories like this make you think differently. Especially when you have little ones at home.

I feel your pain. A wise man once said, a person's true character shows when things are really good, or when things are really bad. Don't sink to their level. I think the best that you can hope for at this stage is to leave gracefully with the only concern that you show being for the future of your kids. Encourage them to keep playing and to stick together, and get your resignation in as fast as humanly possible. If you end up getting fired, you will be explaining that to every potential employer for the rest of your career. Leave in such a way that everyone speaks highly of you. I know that you are angry and bitter, and that fighting sounds like the best thing - but that's not the best thing for your career, your family, or the kids you are leaving behind. They want you gone. Don't give them the opportunity to smear your reputation by forcing them to find a reason to fire you from your teaching position. Take yourself out of the shooting gallery, use your sick days, find another job, get your revenge by becoming a huge success elsewhere. Others may disagree, but I've been right where you are, and my best advice is this - Get the hell out of there. Good luck!

It's tough when someone on the staff is throwing you under the bus. It makes it difficult to defend yourself because the school board/parents feel that they have an "inside man." It can get UGLY in a hurry in those situations..

With that being said, I retract my earlier statement about fighting the school board. If someone within your staff is siding against you, I'd throw in the towel, find another job, and watch that ship go down from the distance. Let you DC take the reigns and let the school board eat him alive; serves him right.

I coached on a staff with a guy who spent the season trying to get everyone else on the staff canned; by going behind our backs to the parents. He ended up getting himself in trouble with the AD because he was drinking with the parents after games and causing problems. All in the name of getting himself on the varsity staff...We were running the freshman program and he was the least experienced guy on the staff; he had to throw somebody under the bus if he wanted to move up.

Anyway, I was next in line for the head of the freshman program. I pulled my name out of the hat and ran away as fast as I could when I heard what was going on. I got a job with an excellent program, had a fantastic year, while the former freshman program I was working with turned into something out of a bad day time drame.