Basketball Coach Appointment Delayed Again

The search for a new boys basketball coach at Summit High School is now in double overtime.

At a special school board meeting early Thursday evening, the sixth meeting aimed at appointing a new coach, Superintendent Nathan Parker withdrew a motion appointing a new coach. Board of Education President Gloria Ron-Fornes acknowledged that “errors” had been made in the process, and former coach David White told the board he “deserved” to be still in the job.

Parker submitted a resolution appointing Kurt Villani at the new basketball coach at a salary of $9,537 but later withdew it without offering an explanation as to why.

The coaching vacancy was created after White’s contract was not renewed earlier this spring. White was appointed coach last year after the contract of longtime coach Eugene Maxwell was not renewed after a 7-16 season.

In his rookie year, White coached the Hilltoppers to an 18-6 record, the team’s best season since 2004-05.

Because it is a personnel matter, school officials have not disclosed why White’s contract was not renewed at the end of the basketball season.

The non-renewal of White’s contract has drawn criticism from both parents and students.  A Facebook page titled Rehire Coach White was started in April.

At Thursday’s meeting in the library of Summit High School, basketball players sat in the front two rows while parents sat in the remaining rows.

No timetable has been set for the appointment of a new coach, though Parker said “the sooner the better.”

Parker and the administration will begin work on finding a coach, while Parker will also begin work on what Ron-Fornes called a “post-mortem” on the selection process so far. The timetable for the post-mortem procedures will be done by June 7.

While Ron-Fornes said the “process was compromised,” she would not give any further details.

“There were errors made by many people,” she said without elaborating. However, Ron-Fornes faintly hinted in outlining the school board’s responsibilities that bias may have been involved.

“I cannot fix the past,” Ron-Fornes said. “I can only fix the future.”

The post-mortem, she said, could give the board ideas on how the process for appointing coaches could be improved.

“We have to move on,” she said. “We have to hire a coach.”

While bemoaning the amount of time spent on the coaching situation, she said the school district should be focusing on issues of excellence.

Ron-Fornes said the process followed in the selection of the new coach was atypical because a committee, which included two parents, vetted the candidates.

“I’m not going away,” White told the board. “I love these kids.”

White, whose remarks were met with applause from the parents and students at the meeting, said he had done a good job.

“I did a really good job with these kids and I deserve to go on.”

White, who said he did not receive any negative feedback during the course of the season, did not speculate on why his  contract was not  renewed.        

“I’m a good role model,” he said. “I am not a pain in the behind.”        

White said his parents raised him to follow his convictions.

“The right thing is for me to fight,” he said.

Though White said he has not been given an opportunity to address the board in private, Ron-Fornes said that he had that chance.

White, a Short Hills resident, came to Summit after serving as an assistant at Millburn. He previously was the head coach of the Pingry School's varsity girls basketball team for nine seasons, where the team had a 129-86 record.

White is also the owner of The Sports Academy in Millburn.