The San Benito “Anti-Selection Committee” Committee is a group of citizens formed to hold accountable the actions of San Benito CISD administrators during their search for a new head football coach and athletic director. And if you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re not fans of selection committees doing the job that the aforementioned administrators and elected officials are responsible for… but our little club is okay. Together, we plan to offer commentary on hot button issues currently buzzing during the AD/head football coach search. Expect us to offer our two cents every weekend in the San Benito News.
Michael Rodriguez
San Benito High School
Class of 1999
In the days and hours leading up to Thursday evening’s special meeting of the SBCISD Board of Trustees, it felt as though my cell phone had become permanently fused to my ear. Granted, what was shared with me during that time was mere speculation about which Greyhound head football coach hopefuls were lobbying, whose reputations were bad, whose salary requests were on the pricey side and why so-and-so was even on the list of finalists.
I’m certain the trustees received the same phone calls from concerned citizens in the community, and when considering this is an election year for four of the seven board members, it’s safe to say that the pressure was on Thursday when meeting to select San Benito’s new head football coach.
Still, even though the board members knew it would be an unpopular decision to prolong filling the vacant head coaching position, especially since the community wants said post filled sooner rather than later, they decided to table the item for the sake of making a more informed decision.
How can I argue with that? The board did the right thing in my mind. Was it a desirable outcome? Absolutely not. But was it necessary? Absolutely.
Francisco E. Jimenez
San Benito High School
Class of 2006
This was a good decision in a lose-lose situation, if that makes any sense. I think it would have been responsible of the board to consider widening the list of candidates, but is pushing back the deadline for the search for the new AD/HC a luxury that the district still has in terms of the three applicants they’re now considering? I still feel like the district should have had the position filled a long time ago. But what can we do, right?
I don’t necessarily think that the finalists were inferior or unqualified for the position, but it would have been nice to have a larger selection of names. I hate to be so pessimistic, but let’s seriously consider the chances that the board finds the right candidate in a little over a week.
I’m hoping that I’m wrong, and I’m pretty sure that I am, but for the sake of argument let’s just assume that everyone is wrong about everything, all the time.
In other news, has anyone started the “Get Henry and Fernando back on the air during the KSBG football broadcasts” White House petition yet? No? What’s the hold up? We can do this. We’ve seen what can happen when patriots come together, take a stand and start a petition to get Justin Bieber deported, after all.
Rebecca Lynn Martinez
San Benito High School
Class of 1999
Wow! I’m in shock yet pleasantly surprised. Is it safe to say that the “Anti-Selection Committee” Committee has influenced the San Benito CISD Board of Trustees somehow, with their “anti-decision” decision-making?
If that’s not an oxymoron, then I don’t know what is, y’all.
First, I would personally like to give kudos to the board members for having the courage to ask for more time to evaluate the applicants. It’s not an easy decision to make, but in my opinion a smart one. This raises so many questions in my head. For instance, what happened?
Was it a case of it being a too close to call or tie between applicants? Did they think they had the one but then realized that they really didn’t? Or was it a political World War III? What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall inside that next board meeting.
I really don’t know what to think on this one, but I’ll tell you what, ladies and gentlemen… it’s about to get good. San Benito High School, after all, deserves one heck of a head football coach and athletic director. I’m hyped and can’t wait to finally see who is going to take us to our next championship!
Hector Avila
El Greyhound Mayor
In Spanish: Mah-yor
I’ll start by saying that it was a smart thing for the trustees to postpone the hiring selection and for the right reasons. Honestly, in November I wrote a letter to the editor trying to shed light on why the board was taking so long to post the vacant head coach/AD position as this was the perfect time to do so when top prospects were available and plentiful. Now to hurry up the process so late in the game for the sake of just filling it quickly is just unwise. Maybe they should take it a step further and ditch Champions Consulting, up the pay or call Tommy Roberts and offer him the position (I heard from a source he would take it) or beg Jim Helms to forgive you for slamming him last time and offer it to him.
What happened to Joe Solis? He was up there and deserves a chance. If Evans was given a chance why not give Solis an interview and ask him his true intentions and plans? All three coaches mentioned know how to win. Is there some other coaches out there now that could lead the ’Hounds to prominence? I believe there are, but the advertised position has to pay $100,000 so you can get state champion caliber coaches to apply.
Seriously, the last coach was getting $93,000, what’s another $7,000 when we’re paying two superintendents? Come on board, get it together… your legacy depends on it.
Andrea Mosqueda
San Benito High School
Class of 2014
So the issue of filling the AD position has been tabled. Honestly, this is the smartest thing the SBCISD Board of Trustees could have done at this point.
The school district is going to be working closely with whomever they pick for five years or so, depending on the contract negotiated. That is a lot of time to deal with someone who isn’t right for the job or the district.
The citizens of San Benito want a new AD now, but if the board was to choose today, then the public will complain when the new AD isn’t doing a great job, and who would have to take the blame for that? The board.
SBCISD administrators are not going to cut corners here. If they were to take the easy and quick route and choose now, they would be shooting themselves in the foot if the new AD doesn’t perform as expected.
Yes, the process is time-sensitive, with spring training looming on the horizon, but what is a few more days compared to years of suffering if the new AD isn’t right?
Think about all the things you can do in five years, reader. Where do you want to be at the end of that?
2 comments
My question is: What qualifications does an AD required to have? Second: What is Greyhound Pride and Greyhound Spirit? Being old school I remember when there was an out of town game, the town was empty……The coaches were your neighbors and committed to this City……The coaches were after you if your grades were not satisfactory…..The weight room was under the stairs of the stadium and empty gallon cans of vegetables from the cafeteria were filled with cement and used as weights……..the student wanted to be better to do better……Fast forward: fantastic weight room and substandard coaches with no experience being a head coach………SB students deserve to have qualified Supers, Coaches and bring back Greyhound Pride and Spirit
What is an additional 7K? Rumor has it that at one time 5 or 6 years ago Scott Ford was offered 105K or 110K but he turned it down. Mario Pena made 100K. It is only money! I wonder how the teachers that work their fingers to the bone with a classroom full of children and make 45K will react to that?