Coach walks off floor....with players

[JRutledge]

Yep, it happened in a couple of real HS games this past season (Not games I was working). One coach was suspended by his conference. The other coach for all I know did not get in any trouble.

Peace

[canuckrefguy]

What a wonderful lesson that coach is teaching his players.

To quit.

What a loser.

[RookieDude]

Yes...it happened to me and my partner some years ago. (2 person crew in WA)

Varsity game...big schools, 4A....big rival...radio game.

Visiting team losing by 30...visiting coach had history as a hothead. (Ex- UW player turned part-time coach...big guy...had kicked a few official's room doors after losses in his time...generally abusive...I believe he had been reprimanded, by his school, before.)

Anyway, about the end of the 3rd Quarter...this guy starts *****ing about calls. I ignored him about once. He stood up on his next complaint as I was running by...WHACK! He said we were screwing him...I told him, "Coach, we aren't 30 points bad".

He said, "What you'd say...WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"...I ignored him.
He said, "You can't talk to me that way"!...and preceded to call his team off the floor. He walked off to the locker room, ranting the whole way.

The Home crowd is loving it...the radio guy looks confused...the Home coach has a smug smile on his face...and the visiting crowd doesn't know what to think.

My partner and I get together at mid-court and calmly discuss our options.

My partner wanted to forfeit the game right then and there. I wanted to wait for a bit. (Could have easily walked then...and coach would have really been hung out to dry...probably fired, as later told)

Well, the Principal of the visiting school was there...and asked us to come over to the scorer's table. He begged us to allow the team back on the floor...he asked if we would just give him a minute to talk to the coach.

I said sure...my partner wasn't so sure. But, we ended up letting the Principal go to the the locker room and talk to the coach and his team.

To make a long story a little shorter...the principal got the coach and team to walk back on to the floor, amongst a raucous crowd. As the smirking coach was walking back on the floor...I WHACKED him with his second T and pointed to the door. His assistants had to hold him back...he seemed a little upset.

His assistant coach took over and actually did a pretty good job...he got them within 20 in a losing effort.

SIDE NOTES:
As my partner and I were being escorted, by the local police to our cars...the local sports beat writer came up and asked me for a minute. I told him we weren't allowed to talk to the media...he used my name and said "... you might want to reply to this." "Reply to what", I asked him.

The writer went on to say that he had spoken to the ejected visiting coach...and the coach had told him that I said, "you are losing by 30...and I'll make sure you lose by more if you don't sit down and shut up"!

I was flabbergasted...all I could tell him was, "that is absolutely false"!

I phoned my assignor, as soon as I got to the car, and told him everything. He said don't worry about it (he was pretty laid back) it will probably all blow over in a few days. I wrote my report...and that was pretty much it.

I did hear that the school showed the WIAA the game tape...because the coach had cried favoritism...and from what my assignor said, they could only come up with two questionable traveling calls for the whole game.

My assignor put me on this teams games the following year and many years to come. Never had another problem with the big guy. He has recently got out of coaching...and from what I heard, if we hadn't of let his team return, that fateful night...he may have been ousted much sooner.

Soooo, for better or for worse...we may have done the guy a favor.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by RookieDude

To make a long story a little shorter...the principal got the coach and team to walk back on to the floor, amongst a raucous crowd. As the smirking coach was walking back on the floor...I WHACKED him with his second T and pointed to the door. His assistants had to hold him back...he seemed a little upset.

Dude, you are now officially my hero.



You penalized the perp, not the players.

[Mark Padgett]

I think RookieDude and his partner did a great job in the way they handled this. The only suggestion I have (and, of course, this is hindsight) would be to have told the principal right up front that you would let the team come back out but not with that coach.

[Adam]

My sophomore year in high school we were playing a team that was typically in the running for the state championship in our class. We were, well, let's just say we weren't ever in the running for a championship. On their home floor, their senior night. Our coach thought they had a history of running up the score, and he asked us prior to the game if we'd be okay with walking off the court if they did it again. What were we going to say?

Fast foward, beginning of 4th quarter, and we're losing by about 70 or so (something like 95-25), just getting our a$$es kicked. Quarter starts, and their starters are still in the game. Coach calls timeout, and we walk off.

Coach got suspended by the state for 2 games, and when we played that school at home later, their fans came fully armed (verbally speaking).

[JS 20]

I had this happen in a 9 and under (not a typo, nine year old and under) AAU game. Coach isn't doing any barking at all the entire game. Towards the end, his team gets down by about 12 with around 1 minute left. His smallest player gets a steal in the BC and goes to the hoop, defender makes a CLEAN strip of the ball, ball hits the shooter on the knee and since he weighs about 45 lbs, that throws off his balance and he goes to the floor pretty hard, ball goes OB off the shooter. I have nothing but OB and the other team's ball. Coach goes ballistic, other team inbounds and the player who shot the ball basically tackles the ball handler. I run the kid for that obviously and then as I go to the table, here comes the coach after me. I asked him calmly to get back to the box while I reported and I would answer any question he had, he kept after me, got further out on the floor toward me...WHACK. Turns around and with 30 seconds left and his team down 12, he gets them and leaves. I couldn't believe what a terrible example he was setting for 8 and 9 year old kids.