RYAN S. CLARK
Published 12:00 am, Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Port Neches-Groves ISD board members said they did not want to release names of the 35 applicants for high school football coach/boys athletic coordinator position despite a public records request made by The Enterprise and other media outlets.
Members revealed the number of applicants at a school board meeting Tuesday. The application deadline for the positions is Thursday.
PN-G ISD board president Randy Brittain said before the meeting he did not want to release the candidates’ names because they might lose their job or possibly withdraw from the coaching search.
Brittain said a requirement that all applicants have a master’s degree would not limit the number of qualified candidates, a concern he said many fans have.
Brittain said the master’s requirement is common for all school administrators.
PN-G is among three Southeast Texas high schools that will hire a new football coach in the coming months. Memorial and Little Cypress-Mauriceville also have coaching vacancies, but neither requires applicants to have a master’s.
Brittain said former coach Matt Burnett did not have a master’s degree. Burnett coached at PN-G for 22 seasons, the last 15 as head coach. The PN-G board reassigned Burnett to outdoor athletic complex coordinator and student attendance officer on Nov. 25.
Burnett will remain as boys athletic coordinator until a new coach and athletic coordinator are hired.
Interviews for the positions run from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23, according to a timetable released by the PN-G ISD. The second round is Jan. 30 to Feb. 3. A candidate will be recommended to the board Feb. 10. The new coach/athletic director’s first day is March 2, according to the schedule.
Source: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/hs/article/Thirty-five-apply-for-Port-Neches-Groves-position-701138.php
