Coach debate unfolds before board

The chairs were filled at Tuesday’s Kalispell school board meeting for one agenda item in particular — the acceptance of the resignation of Flathead High School head football coach Russell McCarvel after seven seasons.

District policies and procedures were questioned and discussed. The meeting also stirred up memories of past coaches under fire by the public.

“The sentiments and scurrilous accusations of a few people has bloomed into a frenzy, and by a few I mean a handful,” Flathead history teacher Bruce Guthrie said. “There’s blood in the water, and a coach — in a move that I do not blame him for — decide to step down in the best interests of the dignity of the football program, and Flathead High School, and I believe the decision speaks to his integrity.”

Board chairman Frank Miller interrupted Guthrie with a bang of his gavel.

“If we talk about a particular person, that person has a right to be here,” Miller said.

Superintendent Darlene Schottle went over district policies and procedures that call for people to first speak with the coach or staff member directly involved directly with a complaint.

If resolution is not achieved, people then speak to the athletic director, then the principal, then the superintendent. The superintendent then investigates the complaint and makes a decision. If a resolution is not agreed upon, the case is put before the board.

“That is the process we’ve used to date. If we need to change that, then the way to do that is to go through policy and personnel,” Schottle said.

On Friday, Schottle said she had received written complaints from parents about the Flathead football program on March 6 and 7. Some of the complaints may have skipped the first two steps.

“When I spoke to the coach and the athletic director, there was an indication there had not been conversations at those levels,” Schottle said.

During Tuesday’s meeting, trustee Steve Davis noted the lack of communication.

“There’s a lack of communication that’s taken place that created the problem,” Davis said. “We owe all of them a better way to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Jason Long also addressed the board, suggesting a coach assessment policy should be in place.

“There’s no way for parents or players to assess a coach at the end of the season,” Long said. “It’s important everybody has a say how they feel how the season went.”

For former Flathead teacher and coach Bob Applegate, McCarvel’s resignation stirred up past memories — and regrets — from 1975 when he was a 22-year-old teacher and didn’t address the board when a coach named Vince Johnson was on the chopping block.

Applegate pointed out that was a head coach for 13 years.

“How do you evaluate [a coach]? I don’t know. Is there a better process? It can’t be hearsay, can’t be agenda. Agendas have no place in the hiring or firing of people that don’t have jobs but have passion.”

He noted there also are passionate parents.

“I told my parents [at a] parent meeting, ‘What I need from you is no dinnertime coaching. There’s a process if you have problems — usually it’s playing time — if you have a problem you have to make sure you follow the process,” Applegate said.

Applegate said his coaching career didn’t start with a perfect season: His team went 0-10. Working with the same staff, in a few years Flathead had an 8-2 season with All-State and All-Conference players.

Talent plays a big part in a team’s success, according to Applegate.

“Some schools can recruit, some can’t. Flathead can’t recruit,” Applegate said.

“I’ve been in this school 40 years. The talent pool has dried up a little bit. I’m sorry, I see these kids on a daily basis.”

He also noted: “There’s dissension in that senior class next year that is really hurting this football team. Part of it is coming from agendas and maybe not-so-very-happy parents.”  

Miller gave some charged final comments before adjourning the meeting.

“I was here when Bobby was talking about that time. By that time I’d been here five years and we’d gone through four coaches,” Miller said. “It’s hard. It sucks, but I’ll tell you what, I think all of us around here felt pretty miserable the last couple of weeks.

“We can do a couple of things — no matter how good we think we’ve done in communicating, we’ve got to do better — all of us,” Miller said.

“You’ve got to do a better job of it, OK. What happens now; how are we going to move forward? The Vince Johnson episode was horrible. The following year someone else came in and the very first thing that person did was offer a job to Vince Johnson as an assistant. Everyone worked together in what was the best interest of the kids and the program ... Some things we need to clean up. We’re going to work on that. Let’s move forward from here on.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.