Having teachers double as coaches should not be an automatic.

We all have things we are told to believe are true.

Not necessarily always facts, but ideologies:

“You can’t win in football unless you run the ball well.”

“Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.”

I have always believed there is no right or wrong approach to winning games.

You do what gives you the best chance to win.

One belief that while I understand in spirit, I don’t just roll over for on command is that
“it’s better to have a teacher as a coach than one who is off-campus.”

According to the California Teachers Association, if a district employee and an off-campus
coach apply for a coaching job, the former is higher in the pecking order than the latter as
far as consideration for the job.

Some districts, however, might automatically hire a district employee even though he or she
is less qualified as a coach than the off-campus applicant.

There will always be a few that come to mind that I witnessed during and after my career as
a sports reporter, though the examples are endless.

At Calistoga High, Mike Ervin recently resigned as football coach. Ervin has coached at
Calistoga for two stints (2006-2010; 2015-2017). Ervin and the Calistoga administration
had been at odds in part because in past years, the administration knew no on-campus
employee wanted the job, thus clearing the path for Ervin’s return. The current administration
wanted to open the position up to a teacher but said they would have circled back to Ervin if
no one surfaced. Ervin did not see it that way and resigned.

At Napa High, there has been soap opera like turmoil the past year and a half between the
school’s mascot trade between Indians for a mascot to be named later. There is also the hazing
scandal that led to former head coach Troy Mott’s resignation because of a power struggle.
Long story short, the administration wanted the final say over which assistants Mott kept.
Well, Mott was not going along with that and resigned. Various candidates applied but turned
down the job. Napa then turned to long-time JV coach and former Indians quarterback Jesus
Martinez, who is an off-campus coach. Knowing the Napa High powers that be like I do, they
would like a teacher that doubles as a coach but given the incendiary atmosphere, none will
go near that job in the foreseeable future, which means circling back to Martinez.

The one that still resonates with me today took place at the end of the 1998-1999 season
when St. Helena High boys basketball went 19-10, winning a playoff game for the first time
since 1985. Tom Hoppe, who has been the school’s athletic director since 1998, was a teacher
and that status pushed former coach Ray Particelli out the door. The backstory is that for
years former St. Helena High principal Len Casanaga circled back to Particelli year after year,
thus rewarding Particelli’s commitment. When John Hamlin came aboard, he had a different
idea. Particelli never reapplied because he knew when Hoppe applied, his application would
be negated. With the aforementioned team being senior dominated, Hoppe’s first year was
difficult with the Saints going 1-22. To be fair, I think even if Particelli returned, the Saints
would have struggled mightily. I’m not just saying this to be politically correct but as much
as I like both people (Hoppe and Particelli), I remember fallout that followed.

Those who espouse the argument that it is better to have a teacher double as a coach would
suggest that a student-athlete is less likely to get in trouble if his or her coach is also a teacher.
The logic is that if a problem on campus arises, the coach doubling as a teacher can address
the problem right away.

True, they can address the problem immediately but that does not necessarily mean the
student-athlete is less likely to get into trouble. At least, I don’t know of any hard evidence
that would suggest one or the other. Granted, a coach that is a teacher is going to be more
readily accessible than an off-campus coach, but in the era of cell phones, text messages,
snapchat and e-mail, off-campus coaches are very accessible. Heck, e-mail so 2001. Whereas
in the pre cell phone era, I would buy the argument that off campus coaches might be harder
to reach.

In a small town, many off-campus coaches live and work in town and are just as likely to
have significant player contact as a teacher.

At a larger school, the argument of having a teacher double as a coach might be a little more
prudent because it is much harder to police the players.

But even in this situation, is having a coach double as a teacher really the be-all and end-all?
This is not an anti-teacher sentiment. My wife is a teacher and I know numerous others. I
am abundantly aware of the pitfalls they face on a daily basis.

My argument has always been that you can know all the mathematic formulas, Shakespeare
lines and scientific facts known to man — but it does not make one a better coach when it
comes to Xs and Os or motivating Jimmys and Joes.

It’s no different than while I am an experienced sports reporter, I would not be any more
qualified to be a cops reporter if I lived next door to the Chief of Police than someone who
is experienced in that job.

All I’m saying is that if you have an on-campus applicant and an off-campus one that are
equal as coaches, well and good, hire the teacher if you think that breaks the tie.

However, if the off-campus candidate is clearly better, you are doing yourself, students and
student-athletes a disservice by hiring the on-campus candidate.

Let’s also reverse the argument and say that you have a very good coach, who is not a very
good teacher? Translation, they teach so they can coach, so teaching is Priority No. 2. If
you are a parent whose youngster is not athletically inclined, then that person is done an
equal disservice. The problem is that angle is never given any thought.

You hear the point so frequently, “Do what’s best for the kids.”

Unfortunately, people who say that are not necessarily always thinking that way. Granted,
high school is going to be the pinnacle for most people athletically, but if it’s a time in your
life you are not going to get back, why not make the most of it?

We also like to preach how important education is too, remember? That said, if you hire a
teacher that is not up to par in that role, you are also shortchanging the youngsters’
education.

Again, I understand the spirit of wanting a coach double as a teacher; I’m just not convinced
fulfilling one role makes you any better at fulfilling the other.