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Players, parents gather in support of CHS coach
CLOVERDALE -- Although no decision has been finalized, word leaked to parents last weekend that the contract of Cloverdale football coach John Butler would not be renewed for next year.
The popular coach and teacher completed his second football season in October with a loss in the sectional semifinal for the second straight year.
Don and Robin Bassett, parents of a junior player on the football team, organized a gathering on Monday night, Support Coach Butler.
Butler did not organize the meeting and was not present.
"I put this thing in motion and I'm not going to stop until we succeed," Robin said. "(Coach Butler) has got to be the best things that has happened to Cloverdale in years."
The support group plans to bring a large presence to the Cloverdale School Board meeting on Jan. 14 at 7 p.m.
"Coach Butler is not part of this," Don said. "The football family that man has started is here for our coach."
Those in attendance (nearly 80 people total) included 25 current or future Cloverdale football players.
They praised Butler for his ability as a role model, and to teach them not only about football, but about life.
"He's not just trying to better you as a football player, but he's trying to better you as a man," senior Dustin Cummings said.
Junior Cody Stout said Butler's passion helped fuel the team, even while they were struggling to get wins.
"I just think he believes in everybody," Stout said. "He has heart for everybody."
Parents agreed.
Butler has gained the trust of many parents by being open and available to them.
Each post-game speech is on the field, with parents and other community members encouraged to gather around.
This is not new to the community, but the first question Butler always asks to the players is, "Did you have fun?"
The parents at the gathering also said Butler has done a good job keeping the team polite and disciplined.
To some, those things aren't enough.
Butler's teams have a 4-18 record in his two years, and were just 1-10 this season.
As a school, Cloverdale has not had a winning season since finishing 7-3 in 1996.
A Cloverdale School Board member, who wished to remain anonymous, said Butler is a good man and that the decision was not football related.
"I want people to know there are two sides to every story," the board member said.
The board member said Butler's contract is not being renewed because of an unspecified issue related to his "teaching performance," and that Butler and the school's administrators "mutually agreed that something had to be done."
"We're not firing anybody unjustly," the board member said. "We're not firing anybody at all. We're just not renewing his contract."
Butler has been at Cloverdale for two years and is a non-tenured faculty member. All coaches must have their contracts renewed each year.
The coach did not comment on his contract, or the idea that the decision was mutual, but said he is grateful for the community support.
"I've always been in awe of the passion that people in our community have regarding athletics here in Cloverdale," Butler said. "It's one of the things that drew me here."
Butler had interest from other coaching positions at different school when he became the head coach at Cloverdale for the 2011 season.
With word leaking of the possibility of Butler's contract not being renewed, at least one other area coach has said he would welcome Butler as a prominent assistant.
The players had a petition signed by more than 100 Cloverdale High School students (more than one-quarter of the high school enrollment) that want Butler to be retained.
Adding an additional layer, the Cloverdale players in attendance said they would not play at all next year if the head coach is anyone but Butler.
"Basically everyone" has said that, junior Wade Warren said.
If he is indeed not retained, Butler said he hopes the players reconsider that decision.
"Whatever the reason, I would hate to see a kid give up an opportunity to play football because of this type of situation," he said. "To those kids considering not playing because I possibly may not be the head coach, I hope you would reconsider and remember how hard you have worked to get where you are right now.
"Play for yourselves, play for each other, play for your parents, or just play to play. You're the luckiest people on the face of the earth to strap it on and play the greatest game ever invented."