Coach's Behavior

[Jurassic Referee]

Interesting story on a goofball coach in Ohio......

http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/loc...2-e2fd4c770b48

Apparently, taking a swipe at an official and then challenging him to a fight later is no big deal to either the coach or his principal. Imagine what this coach might have done if his team had lost the game instead of winning it.

Sad!

Here's a link to the video:

http://www.wcpo.com/mediacenter/loca...video.wcpo.com

To the right of the video look for "category"; open up the drop-down. Look for iteam and click on that- check "A Case Of Coach's Bad Behavior".

Thoughts?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

JR:

I got a kick out of the coach's apology. He apologized for talking to the official. He did not apologize for what he actually said. As a OhioHSAA registered official, I am not suprised that this kind of conduct occurs and that there are athletic directors like this one that condone the coach's behavior. The coaches and athletic directors run the show in the OhioHSAA and officials are treated as fourth class citizens.

MTD, Sr.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

As a OhioHSAA registered official, I am not suprised that this kind of conduct occurs and that there are athletic directors like this one that condone the coach's behavior. The coaches and athletic directors run the show in the OhioHSAA and officials are treated as fourth class citizens.

Mark, from talking to other Ohio officials, that seems to be the consensus. Now, with regards to this specific official....or maybe a similar case....is this going to rebound on an official who had the balls to speak put against this type of behavior? Career-wise with regards to officiating, is this going to hurt his chances to get future assignments, playoffs, etc.?

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Mark, from talking to other Ohio officials, that seems to be the consensus. Now, with regards to this specific official....or maybe a similar case....is this going to rebound on an official who had the balls to speak put against this type of behavior? Career-wise with regards to officiating, is this going to hurt his chances to get future assignments, playoffs, etc.?

Disclaimer: I don't live in Ohio, but just my thoughts

I would imagine that there would be some sort of reprimand, probably just a warning of some sort, from the OhioHSAA, especially since he discussed it with the media before the OhioHSAA finished up their investigation.

Do I think it should affect the official? Absolutely not

Do I think it will affect the official? I have a feeling, at least for the next couple of years, he'll be "that official," and for that reason alone, he may not see many upper-level playoff games. Maybe some first round stuff, but nothing that the media would get a hold of and say, oh, look this is the same guy that got attacked and got that coach fired (which is what should happen).

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by NewNCref

I would imagine that there would be some sort of reprimand, probably just a warning of some sort, from the OhioHSAA, especially since he discussed it with the media before the OhioHSAA finished up their investigation.

Apparently there is a rule in the Ohio officials handbook that says officials shouldn't comment to the media.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Mark, from talking to other Ohio officials, that seems to be the consensus. Now, with regards to this specific official....or maybe a similar case....is this going to rebound on an official who had the balls to speak put against this type of behavior? Career-wise with regards to officiating, is this going to hurt his chances to get future assignments, playoffs, etc.?

JR:

Yes, it will most likely rebound on him. Coaches will stick together and make sure that assignors do not assign him games and the coaches will give him low ratings for tournament assignments. It is legal for coaches and athletic directors to tell assignors who they can and cannot assign to games because schools have the final say so as to who officiates its home games.

MTD, Sr.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Yes, it will most likely rebound on him. Coaches will stick together and make sure that assignors do not assign him games and the coaches will give him low ratings for tournament assignments. It is legal for coaches and athletic directors to tell assignors who they can and cannot assign to games because schools have the final say so as to who officiates its home games.

Yup, another Ohio official has already told me that. Apparently in this particular league the coaches can nominate who they want and also scratch who they want. That is just one ridiculous system imo.

[Jurassic Referee]

More information.....

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...S01/305100047/

Both parties were to blame and no further action to be taken.

Cinci is a tough town to work in, by the sound of it.

[Dan_ref]

Thoughts?

HS basketball is rotten with these types. From middle school up through varsity. Extends into post HS as well.

Nothing surprises me about the behavior of these animals.

Also...that coach might consider skipping lunch every once in a while.

[Mark Padgett]

That coach is a joke and so is his "apology". If I was in that association, I would work to get the members to boycott working that school's games. Maybe then, someone will take that coach's deplorable actions seriously.

BTW - great comments from Chris Collinsworth.

[JAdams]

I work games in the Greater Maimi Conference, of which Lakota East is one of the schools. Referees are assigned in that league by an assignor who is not a basketball referee -- he makes assignments solely by coaches' voting. Given this policy, I don't think the referee involved has any chance of officiating boys games in the GMC in the future.

By the way, I know the official involved...I've worked several games with him in the past five years. He is a quality individual with tons of integrity. There is no doubt in my mind that he's telling the truth. I talked to him after this story broke two weeks ago, and he told me that he's very comfortable with what he did. He has two grade-school-age kids, and he said that he could not teach them about ethics if he didn't publicize this incident and get it out in the open.

Sad story all the way around, if you ask me.

[Larks]

Official will not pursue further action against coach
Lakota East's Walter Vickers apologized for post-game behavior toward referee at a Middletown game.

LIBERTY TWP. — The investigation into a Lakota coach accused of threatening a basketball referee is closed, according to state and Lakota officials.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled Lakota handled the situation appropriately and Lakota East Coach Walter Vickers apologized sufficiently for post-game behavior and comments Jan. 30 at the Lakota versus Middletown game at Lakota East High School.

Referee Eric Lindsay had complained that Vickers pointed at him and then approached in a threatening manner.

After the game, Lindsay said, Vickers goaded him to fight outside.

"No further communication or action is needed," wrote Henry Zaborniak Jr., assistant commissioner of the OHSAA. "The OHSAA considers the matter closed."

East Athletic Director Jim Rouff said Vickers had been jumping up and down excitedly on the court, and though he was wrong for pointing at the official, he said Vickers did not attempt to strike Lindsay. Vickers wrote an apology letter for speaking to Lindsay after the game.

"The accusations against me were unsubstantiated and frivolous," Vickers wrote in a released statement. "This was the second time this official has worked one of our games. I find it contentious that he would think he can evaluate my teaching and coaching, which is something I have been doing for 25 years."

Lindsay issued a statement Wednesday that said he believes there was enough "shame and embarrassment" brought on from the charges.

"Taxpayers will now be made to feel that their concerns will be taken seriously and that coaches will not be protected when they step out of line," he wrote. "I feel we have been successful and I have no problem moving on."

Georgetta Kelly, director of human resources for Lakota, said the district has closed its investigation.

During the investigation, she said the district realized it needed to improve its policy for handling complaints.

"We looked at a complaint tracking system," she said. "What we're going to do now is centralize complaints that come into the district."

[Jurassic Referee]

Being a martyr can be expensive. Prohibitively so in some cases.......

Ohio needs to blow up their present system completely imo. That ain't gonna happen though until the great majority of officials get together and say "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness...and that's enuff of this sh!t!"

[stmaryrams]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Ohio needs to blow up their present system completely imo...

The worst part is they just revamped the system to include the officials votes as a part of the eligibility for post season games.

What we need is a system where we (as officials) can give a sportsmanship rating to coaches. Something that would have clout. I would guess that Technical's and ejections would suffice as is.
The Columbus City League schools ask officials to rate each site on several topics such as site manager's helpfulness, coach, players and fans sportmanship. This provides feedback to the the district on issues that need to be addressed that may have not come to the ejection of a coach, player or fan phase.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Being a martyr can be expensive. Prohibitively so in some cases.......

Ohio needs to blow up their present system completely imo. That ain't gonna happen though until the great majority of officials get together and say "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness...and that's enuff of this sh!t!"

JR:

The OhioHSAA will never (sorry for using the "N" word J. Dallas) overall its present system. The coaches, athletic directors, and principals have a strangle hold of the OhioHSAA. The ironic part agout the whole situation is that the OhioHSAA does not charge any of its member schools a membership fee. A substantial portion of its funding for its operations come for the annual registration fees that it charges its sports officials. Based on the amount of mone that the OhioHSAA rakes in from its sports officials, its registered sports officials should have a 50% say in the running of the OhioHSAA. I am afraid that it will take an official who is a lawyer who has the financial resources to sue the OhioHSAA for officials to be taken seriously in the OhioHSAA.

MTD, Sr.