Morrow's Musings
- By Jeff Morrow
509-582-1507
Posted March 24, 2000
Pasco parents have history of running off coaches
I had hoped to write about many different things today - including the unveiling of the shadow boxes for the Central Washington Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 1999 today, which I'll get to eventually.
But something is more presssing: A group of parents is trying to oust Pasco High girls basketball coach Ronny Coleman.
Despite his record of getting his team to the state tournament, this group wants Coleman gone because, according to one of them, "The program has gone downhill since he's been there."
Hmm. Let's see.
Coleman is 82-89 at Pasco High. Not great, but not bad either. But he's been to regionals four of seven seasons, and the Bulldogs have been to the state tournament the last two years - including an eighth-place finish earlier this month with a team that included five freshmen playing plenty of minutes.
And the program is going downhill? How out of whack is this?
Some readers complained our story in Thursday's paper allowed a parent to hide behind anonymous quotes. Well, our policy is to avoid that. But our policy also allows us to grant anonymity in special circumstances.
In this case, management felt there was no other way to write the story and explain the meeting the parents had with Coleman, athletic director Le Burns, Pasco High Principal Sherry Adkinson and Superintendent David Shaw.
And we thought it was important that readers know what was going on before any action was taken by the school district. Management also gave the parent the benefit of the doubt that using a name could lead to reprisals against the daughter involved. It probably wouldn't have happened, but it was a conceivable concern.
All that said, this is basically another case of parents trying to run the program. And it's hardly a first.
Every now and then, I have to go back into my archives and find the Eric Kelly stories I wrote in 1990 to remind myself how out of control parents can get.
Kelly was Pasco High's football coach who had a 36-24 record over six seasons. He was a good man. An honest man. But it wasn't good enough for a group of parents, who wanted him out anyway.
Kelly got a lukewarm stay of execution from then-Superintendent Larry Nyland. But he was handcuffed by constant meetings and reviews, and he found it better to just leave.
He really never got much support from his bosses.
Same thing happened to Burns when she was girls basketball coach.
Heck, football coach Steve Graff won't say anything, but I know he's been getting heat because the football team failed to make the playoffs last fall. All he ever did was bring a state football championship to Pasco in 1998.
Coaches have one of the toughest jobs around, and they certainly don't do it for money.
One Tri-City area football coach estimates that after all the hours put in, he and his staff might average $8 an hour. It's probably the same amount for almost any high school/middle school coach around. That's not much when you consider coaches are trying to make kids, parents, fans and administrators happy all at the same time.
I understand parents wanting to stick up for their kids. I do that for mine. But when it's time to play the games, I know enough to let the coaches do their job and I'll sit in the stands and cheer for my kids and their teammates.
It's certainly easy to second-guess people from the sidelines. But Coleman has done nothing wrong - except, perhaps, irritate some parents with his coaching style. I don't know of any coach who doesn't do that.
But those Bulldogs basketball players didn't get to the state tournament on their own. Somebody led them there. And his name was Ron Coleman.
I hope Coleman stays the course, and I hope that the school board - if this thing ever gets that far - finds the backbone to support one of its coaches.
If not, this opens a nasty can of worms in which parents control the programs and who plays, and coaching kids won't be worth it for most coaches.
And we're already in short supply of good, hard-working coaches.
* * *
The Central Washington Sports Hall of Fame unveils the shadow boxes for the inaugural inductees at 2 p.m. today at the Tri-Cities Coliseum.
Those in the first class are Gene Conley, Phil and Steve Mahre, the late Ray Mansfield, Karen Murray-Hodgins, Ed Troxel and Ray Washburn.
Nominations are open for the Hall's Class of 2000, and forms can be found at all Parks and Recreation Departments, area Chambers of Commerce, area sports and health clubs, the Tri-City Herald and the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau.
* * *
There will be a lot of bulk at the Shilo Inn in Richland this weekend when the Budweiser World Record Breakers show makes its annual return to the Tri-Cities.
There should be at least a couple hundred powerlifters competing. Bremerton's Vince Eldridge and Kennewick's Rodney Hudson will attempt to set a world record of 751 pounds in the deadlift in the Superheavy Class.
Yes, I said 751 pounds. Events begin at 9 a.m. both days.
- Jeff Morrow can be reached at 582-1507 or via e-mail at jmorrow@tri-cityherald.com
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