Former coach splits ways with Bulldog family

Ever since I literally landed in this country as an exiled refugee fleeing Castro’s Cuba some 51 years ago I have bled green and gold. As a student, an athlete, a teacher, a coach, and community member I have tried to give back to the town that made my sister and I feel safe and accepted during a very scary and uncertain time in my life. I have been a proud Bulldog my entire life — until now.

The recent firing of Sean Duff as girls basketball coach by the Whitefish High School administration and the backing of such action by the school board is deeply disturbing and disappointing.

In my estimation this situation was handled poorly and unprofessionally from the beginning. This young coach that was handed a program in disarray, with a broken system that is not developing any talent at the lower levels, was promised during his hiring that he would be given time to turn things around.

Then add the fact that he was not mentored to any degree, given any meaningful evaluations, put on a plan of assistance, nor sat down and talked to about expectations is disheartening if not negligent by the WHS administration.

This is not how you treat people, especially those who are loyal to the program, are working hard to change things for the better, and had the best interest at heart for his athletes in and out of the realm of athletics.

Last time I looked these are the qualities that most people are looking for in a coach. Then you add the fact that this same administration has looked the other way in many instances when other coaches have acted in ways unbecoming to their profession, serious indiscretions, and this tells me that there is a lack of consistency and fairness in the leadership of this administration.

I was also very troubled by the lack of support and unity from the coaching staff as only a couple of coaches came to the support of a fellow colleague. Take a look around. You may be next.

WHS principal Kerry Drown stated that he wanted to go in a different direction. Wow! He truly did as he had to beg the freshman coach from Mr. Duff’s staff to take the job.

No foresight, no plan, and who suffers, the girls with no coach during the off season to open the gym, weight room, take them to tournaments and camps. That was truly masterful administrating.

But the ultimate slap in the face came from superintendent Kate Orozco and the school board that would not even extend the opportunity for Mr. Duff to face his detractors and have an open and fair discussion on his termination.

I can only speculate that they hid behind the advice of lawyers as they did not want to repeat the Dave Carlson fiasco. I guess you have to have the political clout of an Iron Horse lawyer, the PTA, and recruit the student council to speak on your behalf before you can be put on as an action item on the agenda.

This is the same school board and superintendent that continue to lower the standards — 90 percent is now an A — and set policy that erodes tone and discipline for the sake of individuality. It has been my experience as a coach and educator for 30 plus years that the majority of students want to be challenged, crave discipline and structure. They want certainty in their lives, not chaos.

Do you really think by allowing dreadlocks and rainbow colored hair that we are better preparing these students for the future and the work force? Do you really think that first impressions do not matter?

Who is going to run Whitefish High School: the kids and parents or the professionals?

It seems that all our recent superintendents are looking to build a legacy, a resume for advancement by building a new school or changing curriculum. Whatever happened to, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”

You can build the Taj Mahal for a new school but I predict that unless you fix your programs and get the school back in the hands of the experts, you will continue to lose students. Your test scores will continue to drop, discipline will erode and WHS will lose the prestige and luster it once enjoyed.

I was taught by my parents and my guardians to stand up for what you think is right, and fight for change when you see a wrong. This handling of this young coach and the direction this school is headed has made me no longer want to be part of the family.

So I am respectfully asking you to rescind my Hall of Fame induction with no disrespect to all of the many fellow inductees, as many have been my former mentors, coaches, teammates and players.

Hopefully someday I can again be proud to be a Bulldog.

— Julio Delgado

Editor’s note: This letter was sent to the Whitefish School Board.