More than 40 Gloucester High School football players and parents showed up at Tuesday’s meeting of the Gloucester County School Board to express their preference for candidates other than the board’s choice to fill the head varsity football coaching vacancy at GHS.
Former GHS head coach Sonny Merchant resigned last October after parents complained that he was verbally abusive toward his players. Assistant coach Ken Hardcastle was appointed to fill the midseason vacancy. During its Feb. 29 meeting, the board appointed Brandon Kelley of Roanoke as the head varsity coach, effective in July.
Kelley, a 2007 graduate of Bridgewater College, has not held a head coaching position at the varsity level but did turn around a 5-35 Patrick Henry High School junior varsity team. The team improved to a 17-2-1 record in two years under Kelley, according to his resume.
Most of the parents and students at Tuesday’s meeting said they favored former GHS jayvee coach Ryan Wenner for the head coaching position. Under this leadership, the junior Dukes also experienced a turnaround, going 6-3 and 7-2 in recent seasons.
The parents said they were told that Wenner’s candidacy was marred by his lack of a teaching certificate, and that some involved in the process felt he was not mature enough for the job. One parent suggested Wenner could have been provisionally certified, and another said the players could help Wenner mature.
The players also expressed their preference for Wenner. One described Wenner as his “second father” and “the most energetic and enthusiastic man on the field.” Other players said Wenner created a family with the team. “I can’t imagine anyone better suited to coach us,” said one.
The players also said that, after conducting their own interview with Wenner in January, they presented a petition to GHS principal Tony Beverage backing his candidacy and asked it be forwarded to the school board.
“We believed Wenner was best for the job. Our concern now is that our opinion was not heard,” one player said. Board members acknowledged they had not seen the petition, which the boys said had 95 signatures. Parents also said the boys’ input should have been considered.
School division superintendent Ben Kiser said Wednesday that the school board set out its process for selecting a new coach during closed session meetings in November and December. He said the process for advertising the position and vetting the candidates was formulated in closed meetings because it involved a personnel decision.
“At no time was Dr. Beverage asked to forward it to the school board,” Kiser said of the student petition. He said Beverage told him about the petition, but he advised Beverage to just keep it because the school board had already put a selection process in place.
“I did not see the need to pass it to the school board,” Kiser said, adding that he later told the board members about the petition. He said Beverage was unfairly judged and criticized during the meeting Tuesday when he was only acting on Kiser’s instructions.
“The petition was an effort to circumvent the process the school board approved,” Kiser said, adding it was important, both ethically and legally, that all of the candidates be considered fairly.
During Tuesday’s meeting, one parent suggested making Hardcastle, a well-seasoned coach who also teaches at GHS, a “senior head coach” who would supervise Kelley.
Wenner also addressed the board Tuesday, and backed creating the position for Hardcastle. “We need more experience for this position,” Wenner said. He said Hardcastle “has everything you’d ever want in a head coach.” He recommended Hardcastle be named the senior head coach who would oversee the varsity and junior varsity programs and “bring along Kelley.”
“There’s a middle ground, I think we need to see that,” Wenner said. “I wanted a shot but coach Hardcastle deserves a shot.” Board members did not respond to the comments and took no action on the matter.
Kelley is expected to meet with potential players at GHS this afternoon, according to GHS athletic director Jon Hatch. He will also hold a meeting with interested parents at 7 o’clock tonight in the Duke Rock Cafe at GHS.
Budget approved
In other business, the board formally approved a $66.6 million budget for fiscal year 2014. It includes an operating budget of almost $53.7 million, a 2.3 percent increase over the present budget. The operating fund requires an increase of $1.8 million, or 8.1 percent, in local dollars, bringing the local contribution to operations to $24.256 million.
The budget will be forwarded to county supervisors for their consideration. Supervisors are scheduled to meet with school board members to discuss budget issues on March 28.