What a mess.
The reality is Gilbert fired football coach Leland Rodgers. The fiction, realistic-fiction, fantasy and fodder is everything else being heard and said surrounding his dismissal.
Rodgers told his side of the saga to media outlets (and, based on conversations from players, parents and formers of both, it qualifies as a real saga). Other than an email of generalities sent by Gilbert principal Christopher Stroud, the school and district have said nothing about their side of the story; some of which they’re not allowed to discuss, other parts might not offer any benefit of discussing, and still other parts which they owe the coaches — Rodgers and some assistants claimed they weren’t given specifics as to what they did to warrant dismissal — players and parents at least a few detailed explanations.
Until that happens, we’re all left in the dark, not unlike most coaching changes which occur at the high school level. It’s also left us with rampant rumor-mongering, debates and arguments. Lines have clearly been drawn in the sand. Parents, current players and former players have come out with phone messages, emails and message board musings in support of Rodgers and his staff.
“I give a tremendous amount of credit to Coach Rodgers and his staff for helping my son not only improve in football, but in teaching him to become a leader, a positive role model for his school and his community,” wrote Bob Somodi, who has a son on the football team. “In my conversations with these coaches, I have heard nothing but positive thoughts and encouragement regarding my son and his fellow students and teammates. Perhaps more importantly is that I have heard many students praise Mr. Rodgers as a teacher.
“Certainly coach had made mistakes like anyone in their first year in charge often as a consequence as his eagerness to excel Gilbert High football. For example, many players were intimidated by his fast start and subsequently quit, he angered some boosters in not appreciating some of their long-standing traditions, and other parents have complained to me regarding his blunt personality. I thought these were issues that would be easily resolved with experience and guidance but I am disappointed that principal Stroud and athletic director Daniel Haasch could not develop young talented coaches in their program, I certainly hope this does not bode the same with developing up-and-coming educators.“
This excerpt of an email came from former Desert Vista quarterback Hunter Rodriguez from Rodgers' days as an assistant: “I can personally testify on (coaches’) behalf with the utmost confidence,” Rodriguez wrote. “I played and trained under Rodgers for two years and was the teammate of a coach on staff for three. I have personally seen Gilbert play and practice. Rodgers was, and still is, one of the best coaches I have ever had and he would never do anything like this. I am a better man because of coach Rodgers and I know all the Gilbert kids would say the same. He was motivational and dedicated to making his players better on and off the field. I can not believe the injustice that has occurred as he should never have lost his job. The coach I had the privilege of playing with is without a doubt one of the best men I know.”
Plenty more have come out against Rodgers and his staff. Critics say it started last spring when football fees went up significantly. It grew during offseason workouts, 5:30 a.m. regiments and attendance requirements significantly more strict than during the Dan Dunn era. Cited were a few acts of discipline used on the kids during summer camp, notably vandalism which occurred at another school where the team was staying, in which parents and kids claimed they did exhausting workouts in the middle of the night. A group of parents were unhappy and pulled their kids out of the program.
It continued during the season, with a couple kids having to do extra physical exertion for missing practice times for things beyond their control (slow-healing injury and a family member’s funeral, for example). Then the strength and conditioning coach was let go during the last regular season week of the season, and didn’t know why. A divide formed amongst the team and parents regarding Rodgers and his assistants.
None of this, however, explains the “why?” And even if that answer was made clear, more questions would arise.
A program which craved more discipline from the previous era thought it had that someone in Rodgers (who was in his first year as a head coach and young by coaching standards), yet when he enacted such discipline it caused some to run for the hills. Was it egregious? We don’t know. But it’s football, and it’s not like two dozen kids quit in spring or summer.
Where’s the line drawn in the sand between “rigorous” and “egregious”? It doesn’t always exist.
Was Rodgers given a fair shake to change some of his approach? Was he warned to stop doing certain things? Did administration kowtow to a group of upset parents just because they threatened to go to the media?
It’s all the same questions, back-and-forth banter, agreements and arguments that occur when such changes occur, and we’re again left with the same answers as most of the others which came before it: None.
We’ve heard one side of the story. We haven’t heard the other, and probably never will.
Which brings us to one oft-forgotten reality: Without facts and authoritative perspective, the difference between “right” and “wrong” is fuzzier than ever.
Mark Heller is the East Valley Tribune sports editor. He can be reached at mheller@evtrib.com or (480) 898-6576.
ASU63 posted at 11:47 pm on Tue, Dec 4, 2012.
Coach Rodgers went to the press and presented one side. He blamed one mom, one kid, and then set the kids up to defend him. He has pit kids against kids, coaches against parents, parents against coaches, but never takes any responsibility for his own actions. He is a snake in the grass and manipulates other other adults and kids to do his dirty work. We will teach our own kids character, discipline, values, and what is important in life. Football is an extra curricular activity but it does not define everything we are as a person. Father's should teach their son's to be real men and they should worship their Lord and not the coach. Coaches are just people. Some good and some not so good. Parents teach their children to be accountable not the coach. It is a sport and only a sport. Don't knock the band. Band takes a lot of talent, discipline, and intelligence. We are not cave men and intelligent people who make a difference in the world play instruments, play chess, play football, are on the debate team, involved in student government, and just feel good about themself!
Ben Ashley posted at 12:16 am on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
What a sad day for high school football and the ADULTS that run the system. These are the parents that ruin sports, discipline and the backbone that make our kids strong young men. This has a lot to do with parents that were mediocre in athletics and can't handle their own issues. They live vicariously through their kids and try to protect them because they weren't athletic themselves. The discipline Mr. Rodgers is setting in place for these young men make them stronger in every aspect as they mature into adults and face the world. I was personally pushed even harder in sports than this article shares and look forward to a strong coach like Mr. Rodgers for both MY BOYS! If you dont like the system and what it's based on then have your kids play checkers.... they wont have to run hills or extra sprints, I promise.
As for the AD and Principal, grow some BALLS and protect the core athletic fundamentals. Shame on you for caving into the political education athletic system and ruining what has been so good for so long because of your careers and parental pressure.
Good Luck Mr. Rodgers, I hope you find a good Charter School or Catholic School that will appreciate discipline and create winners rather the whining parents!
ExGilbertFootballFan posted at 8:01 am on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
@asu63 it is obvious that you, Sandra Lescoe, are the disgruntled parent that has a vendetta for Coach Rodgers and his staff. You are the one who is trying to slander a well respected person like Coach Rodgers. It's sad to hear that you have ruined your sons Senior year by your erroneous allegations. That have been dismissed over and over by the district and administration. And still try to continue to ruin a great educator, coach, and father's name. Why don't you just give it a rest already? You've already done enough damage and yet everything you say gets dismissed or proven invalid?
BAB2004 posted at 10:26 am on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
@ ASU63 Directly taken from the GHS website:
“Beliefs
Gilbert High School believes in:
• the worth and dignity of each individual.
• the ability of all students to learn.
• the use of teaching strategies that foster responsibility, critical thinking, and life-long learning.
• the development of skills that will enable students to compete in a global and technological society.
• the development of career and college ready students.”
It is the goal of GHS to teach young men and women to be a productive member of society, it does not say anywhere in the mission statement of GHS to allow kids to breeze through the education process in hopes that parents will give them the education and discipline they need. We send our young adults to school to learn and to become disciplined in hopes that what we as parents may have missed another strong adult leader may fill in. As an Alumni of GHS I can personally tell you that I learned so much from my teachers and coaches, things that I will never forget things that my parents may not have been able to teach me. I am thankful for every single teacher and coach, even the ones that were hard on discipline. For any teacher or coach to be slandered as Coach Rodgers and his staff have truly sickens me to my stomach. I believe I have seen and heard the term “monsters” used what a terrible thing to say! Rodgers and his staff only ever had the best interest of these young men; they wanted to see them excel not only in football but also in life. Parents have made the coaching staff look as if they had a hidden personal agenda, what a disgrace and disrespect to them. Would this have ever happened to Dunn? Would this have ever happened to Parker? This staff only wanted to bring back the days where GHS led the state in football, where students filled the stands and transfers were at an all time high. GHS has shown tradition and excellence since 1918, almost 95 years of being a leader in the in community. GHS has produced so many successful individuals, pro athletes, doctors, nurses, businessmen, veterans and even great teachers/coaches. Do you think any of these individuals would look back at GHS and complain about the hard times? I highly doubt it. All I can say is shame on the school leaders, shame on the school board and mostly shame on the parents that have slandered a respectful man’s name.
ExGilbertFootballFan posted at 11:45 am on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
After watching the board meeting last night, I would also like to point out that Remy Corrasco also stated false statements. For someone who spent 3 minutes explaining his credentials didn't do a good job of telling the truth. FACT- Remy didn't leave the GHS football program, he was fired. He stated that he left the program after camp, that is FALSE. He was coaching for weeks after camp before being fired. If anything he was the first person to start slandering the football program and their coaches. If your going to go up in front of 60+ people at least state the truth otherwise just sit there and listen.
ExGilbertFootballFan posted at 4:16 pm on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
@asu63 it is obvious that you, Sandra Lescoe, are the disgruntled parent that has a vendetta for Coach Rodgers and his staff. You are the one who is trying to slander a well respected person like Coach Rodgers. It's sad to hear that you have ruined your sons Senior year by your erroneous allegations. That have been dismissed over and over by the district and administration. And still try to continue to ruin a great educator, coach, and father's name. Why don't you just give it a rest already? You've already done enough damage and yet everything you say gets dismissed or proven invalid?
After watching the board meeting last night, I would also like to point out that Remy Corrasco also stated false statements. For someone who spent 3 minutes explaining his credentials didn't do a good job of telling the truth. FACT- Remy didn't leave the GHS football program, he was fired. He stated that he left the program after camp, that is FALSE. He was coaching for weeks after camp before being fired. If anything he was the first person to start slandering the football program and their coaches. If your going to go up in front of 60+ people at least state the truth otherwise just sit there and listen.
WesternConnections posted at 5:26 pm on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
Board member Lily Tram read the standard admonition about criticizing employees in this public forum. Why in the world did board president EJ Anderson allow the public criticisms to continue? (Abuse? Mental and physical? These are very serious allegations.) Those criticisms were DEFAMATORY by any measure. That failure of leadership, that disregard for the most basic laws governing a school board meeting, will reverberate for a long time and might have serious pecuniary repercussions for the GPS budget.
Apparently, the mindset of top-level administrators in Gilbert Public Schools is that employees must resign on command. We’re gratified to see that Coach Rodgers refused to do so, basically saying he had done nothing wrong and didn’t choose to participate in trashing his professional reputation just because a parent made a complaint to the the district. Teachers and coaches spend a career building a reputation for professionalism — it seems that GPS thinks it’s fine and dandy to destroy their life’s work on a whim. In this case, allowing a coach to be fired in the media is simply bad public relations for the district, as parents and football players rally around a coach that they respect and admire.
@ AZfball4 - GPS is known for manipulating parent complaints against employees: http://westernconnections.com/manipulatecomplaints.htm Based on revelations in the Notice of Claim that “The District’s hiring process was a sham, rigged to allow administrators to hire whomever their “gut” told them to hire,” you have to wonder if Christopher Stroud was the best candidate when he was selected to be Gilbert High School Principal last year.That may not be a fair perception, but it’s a result of GPS making things up as they go along. http://westieconnect.com/archives/512
BTW: We'll outmatch Remy Corrasco's national security clearances as evidence of credentials any given day.
UR2Dumb posted at 6:31 pm on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
I went to the Gilbert school board meeting last night...who were those smart alec kids that thought they were all grown up but acted like inmature,disrespectful brats? I mean come on-bowing to the audience? Who do you think you are??? I bet Gilbert High School, the Gilbert District and the school board was embarrassed...as well as their parents. Such drama...I thought cheer was bad! Obviously the FB coach that was let go was not a very good role model...
Kiss up to people at GPS?? Maybe somebody should have let that coach know...he is obviously a booty kisser...should have come easy to him.
Grow up people...move on...he is DONE!
UR2Dumb posted at 8:41 pm on Wed, Dec 5, 2012.
@ AZfball4 the only credentials you have are high heels and a skirt...
AZfball4 posted at 6:08 am on Thu, Dec 6, 2012.
Hahaha good one you got me there! Did you talk trash all by yourself? Or did you have to ask for permission from your wife to wear the big boy pants? I stated FACTS in my comment and it was deleted, oh well. Some people just can't handle the truth, and Remy is one of those people. He was shopping his son around to different programs just like some of the other dads at Gilbert high living through their own kids. It really is sad that he was fired and now he has to try and diminish a good mans name. As far as the booster club goes, I the husbands of the booster club moms should coach the football team. It would be very comical to see them looking up at the stands asking permission if they could run certain plays or not from their wives. Also who was that guy who was a coward and gave his time to Remy? Man that was pretty pathetic. For Remy to accuse coach Rodgers for demanding that his students and players attend the meeting is a joke. If anything Remy was approached by the booster club moms, and so was this guy that gave his time to Remy! Keep telling lies and living in the dark. It is a shame what you people have done to your own program, and even worse what you have done to your own sons/daughters.
xby123 posted at 10:36 pm on Thu, Dec 6, 2012.
soJodie Dean is this your facts, Lelands facts, Bakers email to kids, haash's cover up or just your obnoxious son and other misinformed parents. Being a employee of Gilbert you should know better then to arrange meetings with kids and Superintendent without parent permission. Jodie, you are a pathetic excuse of a principal and representation of Gilbert School District. It is people like you that imrpact programs by your secrets, misuse of authority, and your ill mannered children. You wish you had half the life of Remy, half the respect, and half the character. No lies, no darkness, no cowards... Just the wrong people in the wrong positions who think their kids are something they are not and prinicipals, coaches, and teachers who are not. Remy's has more class in his little finger than your whiskey tango trash self. Our sons/daughters are fine because we are their parents and you aren't.. get over it.