A number of concerned New Brockton parents and students attended a June 6 Coffee County School Board meeting to plead with board members to reconsider the recent release of softball coach Kris Rainey.
Rainey's contract, along with the contract of assistant football coach Brad Smith, was not renewed during the board's May 23 meeting.
Coffee County School Superintendent Don McPherson said principals made the recommendation to non-renew the contracts and, in turn, McPherson made that recommendation to the board.
Former New Brockton softball player Jena Feese addressed the board June 6, and presented a petition with about 150 signatures asking the board to reconsider.
Feese said hiring a new coach every three years prevents the school from building a foundation to form a consistent program.
Freese said Rainey embodies what is means to be a Gamecock and built a team based on discipline, passion, hard work and dedication.
"Coach Rainey had so many keys to success," she said. "He is one of the few that actually has a gift for coaching."
Freese said Rainey made a lifelong impact on her and fellow teammates' lives.
Despite the showing, board members approved the hiring of Jennifer Graham as the new physical education teacher and head softball and volleyball coach during its personnel decisions.
In other coaching changes, board members approved Bradley Bowers to transfer from social science teacher at Zion Chapel School to physical education teacher and head football coach.
The board also approved to hire Robbie Brown as a physical education teacher and coach at Zion Chapel.
Other hires include Justin Compton as the new band director at Zion Chapel, Savannah Norris as a science teacher at New Brockton High School and Alicia Cardwell as a first grade teacher at Zion Chapel.
The board also accepted the voluntary transfer of Scott Crosby from a science teacher as New Brockton High School to 7-12 grade science teacher at Kinston School.
futureepp posted at 4:12 pm on Thu, Jun 13, 2013.
i think it is awesome to see a student plead for a coach/teacher, not because of games that they won but because of the values he taught her..