New Brockton softball coach Kris Rainey and assistant football coach Brad Smith have both been relieved of their coaching duties at the school.
The action to relieve the two coaches was taken by the Coffee County Board of Education during its May 23 meeting.
Rainey's contract was not renewed by the board. He served as the running backs and linebackers coach on the New Brockton football team, and led the Lady Gamecocks softball team.
Smith served as the Gamecock football team's defensive coordinator and offensive line coach, and coached the school's golf team in previous years.
"On one (person), a teacher was split between two schools," Coffee County Schools superintendent Dr. Don McPherson said. "Both principals made that recommendation to non-renew their contract. Therefore, I took that recommendation and made that recommendation to the board."
Smith, who has tenure in the Coffee County Schools system, will remain at New Brockton in a teaching role.
"On the other (person), the principal made the recommendation to not renew the coaching duties," McPherson said. "I took that recommendation to the board."
Smith said he received a "courtesy notice" of the termination of his coaching duties from school officials May 22, and was officially notified of the board's decision May 24, but said he does not know why the decision was made.
"I have still not received a reason or anything like that," Smith said. "Anything I would say about why would be pure speculation."
McPherson said he is unable to comment on reasons why the recommendations were made to relieve the coaches of their duties.
"By law I can't," he said. "I will say we appreciate their service to our system."
The superintendent said Smith, who is a science teacher at New Brockton High School, will not coach next year but could return to a coaching role in the future.
"It was just a decision the administration made," McPherson said. "He'll be a teacher. As of right now, this next year, he's just going to be a teacher."
Rainey taught physical education at New Brockton, and has coached the Lady Gamecock softball team since the 2011 season.
He led the team to a regional tournament appearance in Gulf Shores during his first year.
McPherson said the system will do its "very best" during the search for New Brockton's next softball coach.
"We will do everything in our power to hire the very best coach," he said. "We've got a great group of young girls who have a tremendous future ahead, not only in school but also in softball. We will do everything in our power to find the best coach to carry the team even further than it has been in the past."
futureepp posted at 3:20 pm on Tue, May 28, 2013.
wow...