Amherst to update coaches handbook

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - Amherst school officials say they're updating their coaches manual following an incident at a basketball game this week.

An Amherst coach was fired after school administrators say he told one of his players to "take down" the opposing team's coach during a game.  Amherst Athletic Director Rich Ferro is calling the experience an unfortunate one and says he’s now working with coaches hoping to move forward.

The incident happened just minutes before the end of the first half of a basketball game between Amherst Regional and South Hadley High Schools last Monday.

“Well I saw the ball player line up the coach from probably ten feet away, take a run at him and knock him to the floor. It's just an obvious on purpose deal,” said Jim Roule, a South Hadley resident who was at the game.

Roule is a graduate of South Hadley High and doesn't miss a game.  He says the player was an Amherst Regional junior. The hit was captured on video and led to the firing of the school's Assistant Basketball Coach Eric Wheeler; just weeks into his second year coaching the team.

School administrators say Wheeler told the student what to do because South Hadley's coach was standing out of the coaching box.

“He's had, what we would describe, as kind of, normal growing pains.  We would receive feedback but nothing that rose to the level where we would have a reason to believe that this kind of behavior we could've been predicted,” said High School Principal Mark Jackson. 

Ferro told 22News they'll soon upgrade their coach's manual to include language that will hold coaches accountable for how they treat their athletes in public. He says he started holding workshops last fall, in an effort to set core values and beliefs among the 60 coaches under his supervision.  

Some say its sad example of how competitive the sport can get.  “Today kids are just told to keep going, whatever it takes to get the job done and you gotta have more respect for yourself and other people. And if you're going to play the game, play it like a gentleman,” said Amherst resident Avery Childs.

No criminal charges have been filed. In a statement, South Hadley's coach Jeff Guiel told 22News, "I would like at a later point to make much more detailed comment.  I'm going to respect the integrity of the whole process and investigation."

Varsity Assistant Mike Coblyn will coach the Amherst Regional Junior Varsity team for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season.