Stang: Out as WHS basketball coach

Eric Stang has been informed he will not be back as head coach of the Whitefish High School boys basketball team due to a staff reduction in the district.

Stang said last week he was told by school officials that his teaching and coaching positions were not being recommended for renewal. This came a day after being recommended for rehire as the head coach through a performance evaluation, Stang said.

"What they told me is, coaching wise, they'd like to have coaches in the building as teachers," said Stang, a non-tenured physical education teacher at the high school. "That's their first priority they said."

Whitefish School District Superintendent Jerry House confirmed that Stang is being non-renewed as a teacher, but said that all coaching positions are evaluated on an annual basis and no decisions have been made.

"Coach Stang's status won't be set until he receives a letter in hand," House said.

Official recommendations for coaching positions are expected to be made at the May 26 school board meeting, House said.

With a $280,000 deficit in the high school district budget, the district is faced with cutting teaching positions.

Coaching positions are annual contracts that come up for renewal based on performance evaluations.

"We do not go on win-loss records. That has absolutely nothing to do with it," House said.

House said coaches are evaluated in a number of areas, including how they work with kids, the quality of their program and their involvement in the community.

House agreed that being a teacher in the school is important as well.

"You want a teacher-coach, it's ideal," he said. "You want them in the building. Not that a community coach can't work."

Stang, 34, has coached at Whitefish for two seasons. He guided the Bulldogs to two state tournament appearances and a 30-18 record overall. Ten athletes were named Academic All-State during Stang's tenure.

Stang took over a beleaguered boys basketball program in 2007. He was the program's fourth head coach in seven years. The Bulldogs were 27-60 overall in four seasons prior to Stang's arrival.

"The kids have done a great job of buying into the system and working hard and that's evident in their accomplishments off and on the court," Stang said. "I wish those kids the best luck in the world. It's a good group of kids and it's been fun coaching them."

Stang said if he had been given the opportunity to remain as head coach, despite being laid off as a teacher, he would have taken it.

"Yes, I would have tried to make it work," Stang said.

"I understand their position. I understand their philosophy," he said. "I wish them the best of luck."

Stang also coached the North A boys all-star team at the Crowne Plaza Senior Classic in 2007 and 2009. Before becoming Whitefish's coach, Stang was at Lincoln County High School in Eureka for one season.

"Right now, June 1 is my last day and I'll finish what I started. That's how I was raised," Stang said.

"I'll get things organized and make sure they have resources they can use.

"I don't have any regrets and I did things my way and we had a lot of success here. I just hope that that success continues because the kids are more than worth it," Stang said.

Reporter Dillon Tabish can be reached at 758-4463, or by e-mail at dtabish@dailyinterlake.com.