USBL Coach Pulls Team off Floor

OverAndBack · #1 (**permalink**) Sun May 09, 2004, 10:16pm

You have to register to read the article itself (in Cedar Rapids, Iowa? Puh-leez.), so I'll summarize:

St.Louis SkyHawks (United States Basketball League) coach Floyd Irons, apparently a high school coach (and probably soon to be a former professional coach) pulled his team off the floor Friday night in Cedar Rapids as his team trailed the River Raiders 38-21 with 6:32 left in the first half.

Game officials Tom Turckas and Dave Cusick had a fun time trying to convince Irons to reconsider, but he was having none of it.

At the time Irons pulled his team off the floor, St.Louis had been whistled for five fouls and Cedar Rapids 1, with St.Louis having shot 1 free throw and Cedar Rapids 2.

Irons has won nine Missouri state high school championships, but may not get a chance to win one in the pros.

"Actions will be severe and swift," USBL PR Director Dennis Truax said. "He's a high school coach making a high school play and it's out of the question what he did tonight. It was Floyd Irons making a grandstand play because he didn't get his way."

Now, y'all have been around a lot longer than me, and this is professional ball rather than what we do (hey, it's the summer, what do you want to talk about?), but let me ask you: How long, how forcefully, and how loudly would you attempt to dissuade a coach from keeping his team from completing a game when he makes a grandstand play to protest the officiating?

I would tell him, very calmly and strongly, once, that he realistically would face very strong sanctions from his league and potentially the loss of his job if he continued with this course of action. I'd say now if you want to protest after the game, fine. But let's go out and finish the game, because as it stands, your team is going to forfeit and you are likely to lose your job. So what do you want to do?

And if he persisted, I'd say "fine," pick up my check and head home to watch the fireworks. Life's too short.

#2 (**permalink**) Sun May 09, 2004, 10:24pm

Here in Nebraska, if it were a high school game, I'd remind the coach that pulling the team is an automatic forfeiture of the game. Nothing else. He/she should know the consequences if it happens.

BktBallRef · #3 (**permalink**) Sun May 09, 2004, 10:33pm

So, the cat is outta the bag!!

BBallCoach's real name is Floyd Irons!!

blindzebra · #4 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 01:07am

Quote:

Originally posted by BktBallRef
So, the cat is outta the bag!!

BBallCoach's real name is Floyd Irons!!

No the article said this Irons won 9 state championships, I'd doubt BBallCoach has won a game much less a title.

ChuckElias · #5 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 08:38am

I would continue to attempt to dissuade him until he was actually off the floor. As the league official said, this is professional basketball and all the participants should conduct themselves as professionals. I wouldn't want to let him just "hang himself". I'd keep trying to get him to play the game.

In fact, maybe I'd just eject him and try to get him to leave and let his assistant take over.

BktBallRef · #6 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 08:50am

Quote:

Originally posted by blindzebra

Quote:

Originally posted by BktBallRef
So, the cat is outta the bag!!

BBallCoach's real name is Floyd Irons!!

No the article said this Irons won 9 state championships,...

I doubt it. He probably just told them that to get the job!

OverAndBack · #7 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 09:39pm

The league suspended the guy indefinitely. St.Louis papers say he's kind of an abrasive guy, the kind other coaches and administrators don't like to deal with. I can't imagine where they got that idea.

Stat-Man · #8 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 09:48pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Ref Ump Welsch
Here in Nebraska, if it were a high school game, I'd remind the coach that pulling the team is an automatic forfeiture of the game. Nothing else. He/she should know the consequences if it happens.

In MI, if a team pulls his team off the bench, notonly is it a forfeit, but he has ot appear before the state association board and explain why his team doesn't deserve additional sanctions.

BktBallRef · #9 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 10:21pm

Here, the school is fined and they may have to forfeit remaining games.

zebraman · #10 (**permalink**) Mon May 10, 2004, 11:22pm

I'd just say, "coach, are you sure you want to do that to the fans and players just because you are in disagreement with some of our calls?" When he said yes, I'd just call it off and let him deal with the mess he made. I wouldn't sit there and try to dissuade him any more than that. If he's in a frame of mind where he wants to take his team off the floor, he's in no frame of mind to listen to reason.

Why would high school administrators let him coach at the high school level if he's so hard to deal with? Are they that desperate for coaches there in St. Louis?

Z

Adam · #11 (**permalink**) Tue May 11, 2004, 07:01am

Here in IA, we had a coach pull us off the floor my sophomore. We were visiting team at parents' night at the eventual state champion. End of third quarter, score is 92-26 (or something like that) and home coach leaves his starters in to start the 4th quarter. Our coach pulls us off the floor (I wasn't happy because I lost some scrub time) and we go home.

Coach received a two game suspension from the state. I don't know about any fines or anything like that, as it was way above our heads. It sure was nice to beat them my senior year, though.

OverAndBack · #12 (**permalink**) Tue May 11, 2004, 02:36pm

Quote:

Originally posted by zebraman
Why would high school administrators let him coach at the high school level if he's so hard to deal with? Are they that desperate for coaches there in St. Louis?

I get the feeling it's because he's been there a long time, he's won a lot, and he's a powerful force at what I gather is an influential school in the St.Louis area. I think he's also the Principal and the AD or some such.

#13 (**permalink**) Tue May 11, 2004, 02:59pm

BBallCoach has been real quiet lately. Maybe he's not reading the board out of season!

Mark Padgett · #14 (**permalink**) Tue May 11, 2004, 03:47pm

In the early days of the NBA, Mendy Rudolph was working a game in Syracuse. The visiting coach (I don't remember his name, but the team was Ft. Wayne) threatened to pull his team from the court. Mendy told him that if he did, he'd have to personally pay for all the refunds to the fans. According to Mendy, the guy just sat down and shut up after that.

I heard him tell this on an old interview during halftime of an NBA game in about 1964.

tomegun · #15 (**permalink**) Tue May 11, 2004, 09:07pm

Quote:

Originally posted by OverAndBack

I get the feeling it's because he's been there a long time, he's won a lot, and he's a powerful force at what I gather is an influential school in the St.Louis area. I think he's also the Principal and the AD or some such.

I lived in St. Louis for a year after high school. If he is the coach and principal with state championships it can only be one school. That would be Vashon high school. The almighty V! If you know about their program then you would understand why he thinks he can get away with this. Notice I said he thinks he can get away with this. I'm sure he will keep this separate from his day job.