×

Non-renewal of coach’s contract was routine

The Marietta Times wrote an article on May 24 relative to Coach Mark Duckworth continuing as the Marietta High School basketball coach. That article left the reader with the wrong impression of where we are in that process. We find no fault with the Times reporter. In fact, we understand how he might have drawn his conclusions.

I will attempt to explain the school board’s process on hiring coaches. Every coach has a one-year contract. Once the contract expires, for some unknown reason, the board takes formal action on all coaches expired contracts and votes to non-renew their contracts that has just expired. Then has the CFO (treasurer) send each of them a letter confirming non-renewal.

Then every coaching position is filled with a personal commended from the administration for a new one-year contract. If the board agrees with the recommendation, they vote to hire that person.

That is precisely what happened at the school board meeting on May 23. The board unanimously approved a list of 34 coaches for non-renewal, which included Coach Duckworth and school board member Russ Garrison as assistant varsity cross country coach.

To date there has been no formal action taken by the school board to fill the high school boys basketball coaching position.

We have heard form the community at the last three school board meetings as to what the town wants. Over 20 speakers have spoken and well over 150 people have attended. We have heard from players, parents, grandparents, alumni, coaching peers and various other supporters of Tiger basketball. We even heard from the “Voice of the Tigers” Johnny Wharff who indicated that Coach Duckworth was the best he had seen in his 30 plus years of covering the Marietta Tigers.

Can all those folks be wrong on Coach Duckworth?

Coach Duckworth’s position has been the same from the beginning. He would like to have a fair and impartial review of his personnel record and his body of work from a neutral party, in this case, the school board or our district business leaders (school board president, superintendent and CFO).

Does Duckworth’s request seem unreasonable given his commitment the last three years to restoring Tiger basketball and the tremendous backing of the community?

Doug Mallett

Advocate for Coach Duckworth

Marietta

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today