Keene HS Coaching Carousel

Maybe you've already read it - but Dave Haley gets in deep with the eyebrow raising situation at Keene High School.

http://www.nhsportspage.com/display_full_story.php?story_id=769

Would love to hear opinions on this from the forum readers...getting some really good feedback/comments back about the article. Two have been posted under the column already..

This situation is a head scratcher for sure. This situation comes shortly after the Central girl's running coach situation where a coach seemed to be treated unfairly. For the life of me I don't know why any one with any common sense would want to coach the Keene High basketball team after this situation. Maybe, if this quick sand situation for Keene boy's basketball continues, they should just move to D2. Heck, they've been playing Con Val for a while to pad their win total, which hasn't been much lately, under the guise of the Con Val game being a "rivalry" game for them. If Keene went to D2 they could find lots of other rivalry games they could compete better in:

Milford
Goffstown
John Stark
Hollis/Brook
Pelham
Souhegan

The above 6 teams would be shorter drives than what they make right now in D1 and the moribound seasons they have had lately would be a thing of the past.

What say you Keene Administration? Instead of focusing your energy on picking apart what a motivated and passionate HS basketball coach has to say while doing the difficult task of mentoring today's youth, why don't you really do something constructive and make the decision to move your boy's basketball team to D2?

Dave,

Great article. Good job in giving the whole story of the situation. When I first heard about the situation I thought it was a joke some one was playing on me. I commented to some one last night who agreed with me that if this was done at the other 18 D1 schools we'd have a lot of ex-coaches for the last 1/3 of the season. Now, this Keene Admin comes off looking foolish. There had to be other under lying factors, one of which was pointed out in your article, that lead to this quick dismissal of the Keene coach.

Thanks for digging Dave. I know when I first heard that a coach got fired for swearing in practice I thought holy shinola there has to be more to the story. I've been on the sideline for football games doing the chains when Keene visits BG, I know for a fact that from Varsity down to Freshman that those coaches aren't exactly part of the church choir when it comes to their vernacular describing how a player is performing in a game. I can only imagine what is said in practice. Sounds (hah) like a double standard to me.

Too bad, but you know what they say about someone that is trying to do the right thing for the players - eventually some parent or administrator finds a way to screw it up. I would think the school board in Keene would want to start thinking about why their Principal decided to portray a man that seemingly has done so much for the community in such a bad light. Something really stinks.

Thanks for the feedback guys and I think you both make some really good points.
According to coach Johnston he had a very good relationship with the AD Leslie Farmer, again as I wrote, she had just said "I know you're in this for the long haul" two weeks ago...this sounds like the principal made the call and it wasn't his call to make. It also sounds like it may have been personal.
When you have a guy who is willing to start at the yourh league levels and build a program and you run him out of the job you deserve everythigng you get. A parent whose son started last year but didn't this year has been making noise all season over in Keene and guess who won that battle....its just wrong but unfortunetly all too common..

You guys had a thread here. I read it then went to bleachers to talk about it.

It makes it real hard to root for Keene. I hope they don't squeak in the tourny because of their win over d2 ConVAL.

Every year I complain about that, and Dover playing ST Thomas. Falls on deaf ears.

Dave - Your article doesn't mention whether or not you tried to contact the AD and/or the Principal for comment. Did you?

I did, I left a message with the principal's office yesterday morning, I didn't get a call back.

They won't and cite personnel matters - which they should either way - but good for you Dave, for doing so!

Agreed. Always good to try to get the story from all angles so the reader can formulate their own opinion based on all information available.

Barstool sports picked up my story.....it's getting a ton of readers....it's on there now.

Just read it on Barstool, Dave.

The comment section, which is up to 13 in an hour, is ummmmmmmmmmmm........ uhhhhh.... very interesting. I don't think Keene High will be posting it on their bulletin boards.

Dave, check you PM from me. I think you'll find my PM very interesting.

2 words come to mind when thinking of Keene and this situation:

Isolated and Insulated


Maybe, after giving this situation a run on NHSportspage, NH Sports Forum and now Bar Stool Sports Keene will be less isolated and insulated.

Being mentioned on Barstool ranks right up there as a close 2nd to being mentioned on the NHSF. Impressive indeed.

..

I can't believe that some of my basketball cronies have been texting me today and asking me:

"What is Bar Stool Sports?"


I didn't know some of my cronies resided in a rock as in what rock do you live under

Heres a link to the Article. Barstool Sports is a Boston-based website that is sometimes NSFW (not safe for work) all though most of the time acceptable. Its hugely popular with the 18-35 (and older) crowd. Owner and main blogger is 34 or so years old and has been doing this for quite some time, and they have a NYC and Philly site as well. They touch on Entertainment, Sports, Women and other various things that seem to drum up controversy and the like. I'm a frequent page hitter over there..

I would love to link to the article but unfortunately the fact that you cant use the word sh*t in a link means the forum won't allow me. Go figure. Its on the bottom of page 2 or so of the blog now.

www.boston.barstoolsports.com

USA Today has picked up on the story...here is the link

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/02/high-school-fired-for-using-expletive-against-his-player/1

Wow, little ol town of Keene is becoming less "ISOLATED" and "INSULATED" this week