The Wayland Board of Education Monday night promised to come up with a less confusing and more fair policy governing administrators coaching.
The board is between a rock and a hard place on the issue because current policy is not uniform. It allows Dorr Principal Kevin Zachak to coach the Forest Hills Central hockey team and allows Superintendent Norm Taylor to officiate at interscholastic athletic events. However, varsity basketball coach Mike Hudson had to choose between coaching and being an assistant principal at the high school and Cheri Ritz was told to drop duties as athletic director in order to remain as softball coach.
There have been reports that Mike Omness, assistant high school principal, also would like to be an assistant on the varsity football team.
Board President Tom Salingue said, “If the administrator’s job description and duties can’t be met, then the coaching must be terminated.”
Board members agreed that administrators must tend to their “day jobs” as top priorities. But conflicts can arise when there are practices or games that call the administrator away.
“We want to put our best people in front of the students in both teaching and coaching,” Taylor said.
He also noted that nine of 1
3 neighboring school districts permit administrators to coach as long as they adequately handle their “day jobs.”
“I think we may have missed out on some quality people (coaching) because of our policy,” Salingue said.
Trustee Gary Wood agreed that it’s good policy to hire “somebody who can handle both roles.”
Athletic Director Justin Wilson, when asked, said, “We sometimes have a difficult time filling positions and we’ll post without getting an application. If they (coaches) can handle it, it’s a win-win situation for the student, the athlete and the community.”
The board plans to have guidelines drafting for filling coaching positions with administrators and for a presentation and possible decision later this fall.
PHOTOS: Mike Hudson Cheri Ritz Kevin Zaschak
