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Last night, the Whitko School Board did Bill Patrick and Tippecanoe Valley an enormous favor.
They hired someone else to fill the boys basketball coaching position vacated by Fred Fields at Whitko High School.
Why is this a favor? Because Patrick is too good for the current Whitko school system. Those of you who read my column early in the 1998-99 basketball season know that I am a Patrick supporter, so this column should not come as a surprise to anyone. Even if you had not read my previous column, if you were at the Whitko school board meeting Monday night, you would fully understand why I am writing.
Before I go any further, however, allow me to point out that I have no problem with Whitko's new coach, Steve Pickett. In fact I hope he can at least slow the downward spiral Whitko has gone into the past couple of years. I wish him the best of luck in his new position; he'll need it.
Anyway, I went to the school board meeting Monday night after hearing rumblings about what may or may not happen. Let me say that I have never been so disappointed with a group of individuals in my life.
I realize that the board may not have wanted to hire Patrick. That's fine, but the way they went about handling the situation was unethical. They did not discuss the matter publicly, even after a member of the community, Stan Frantz, spoke about the Patrick situation in the public comment portion of the meeting. They grouped all the employment actions (at least 20) together in one motion and slid the new coach into position before anyone knew what happened.
I do not believe Patrick was treated fairly by the Whitko school board. After being persuaded by members of the community, Patrick applied for the Whitko coaching position. Early in the morning on June 2, a representative of Whitko High School called him and asked him to interview that afternoon, nearly a week after the other candidates had interviewed. Nice of them to give a person plenty of time to prepare, huh?
According to Frantz, Patrick interviewed for the position and was then told that a selection would be made a few days before the June 21 school board meeting. On June 5, people from Carroll High School were telling people from Whitko that Pickett was Whitko's new coach.
What is unusual about this situation is the fact that the selection committee chose Patrick as their No. 1 candidate, but once they were told that the only position available was in the English department Pickett was chosen.
"I believe Bill Patrick was the best selection for basketball coach," said Frantz. "In the past mistakes were made on both sides. It's time to forget. Let Coach Patrick come home, let hime get his 500th win and finish his career here - the way it was meant to be."
Some would say that Whitko should stop living in Patrick's glory days of the past. My question is: What have Whitko fans had to look forward to the past few years? It was once an honor for a player to say he played at Whitko; now the boys would rather forget they were even on the team.
I remember when Whitko fans would pack a gymnasium even when the Wildcats weren't the home team. Now the Wildcats are lucky if they can fill half the gym at a home game.
If I were Patrick, I would be relieved that the Whitko school board did not choose me as their coach. Why should he leave a place like Tippecanoe Valley where he is accepted and supported?
Patrick should be glad that he does not have to work with a group of individuals that would make Brutus (of Julius Caesar fame) look like a man's best friend. Et tu, Whitko school board?
