Temple City, school board coming close to a decision
It's been almost two months since Temple City football coach Randy Backus was put on paid administrative leave.
Since then, I've called Temple City High School almost on a weekly basis with little information to no information on what the school board's decision is regarding the matter.
I put in a call to Temple City athletic director John Van De Veere on Wednesday and it sounds like the school board and the school will come to a decision by Friday (Van De Veere has agreed to call me then when a decision has been made).
As far as his job as an English teacher, Backus has long since long been reinstated. Whether he continues as football coach or not is what's up in the air.
When asked about the progress Van De Veere elaborated a bit.
There's really nothing I can tell you definitely. I know you want to print something but all I can tell you is we're still going through a process of talking to him. (School) administrators are still talking to him. At this time no (decision has been made).
Van De Veere was asked when a decision would be made.
I would say at the end of this week we should come to a conclusion. That would probably be when the decision is made. On going negotiations coming ahead of Friday, at least I hope it does, If he's going to return.
Van De Veere was asked whether this puts the him and the athletic program in some strain given the timetable of having to fill the position.
For me it's a little bit late as we speak. You know how that goes. I'm a little concerned about the time table. We have a policy in our district that we need to fly the job in-house for two weeks before we can open it up outside. I cannot put it up on the CIF website until we float it here for two weeks. As of right now I don't foresee anybody (in-house) that would be interested in the job.
Should the position open up, Van De Veere was asked whether the job would come with a teaching position at Temple City High.
That's up in the air, too. I am really trying to get someone on campus. We want to get a teaching job for that individual. But what makes that very tough is we don't know if the individual would have credentials. That's part of the interview process.
Asked about Backus' teaching position, Van De Veere was quick and to the point.
This decision has nothing to do with his teaching position. He's an English teacher here on campus.
Now we wait.
My $.02:
I've talked to numerous coaches in the area about Backus. They all had nothing but good things to say about him. They all wish he'd return. Heck, the players and coaches on the staff I'm sure feel the same way. The feeling here is none of the assistants will stay on board should Backus be asked to resign. If Backus' alleged incident was so terrible the school board and administration would have come to a conclusion much sooner than where they currently stand. We're not that far away from spring ball. Would it really be wise to rid Backus and bring someone new who has no idea about the nucleus the Rams have developed over the last two months that led to a semifinals appearance in the CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division playoffs? With the core of players expected to return, it would not serve them nor the program to bring someone new to learn on the fly. Remember, nobody on the current coaching staff works on campus, only Backus. The school board and administration have punished Backus enough by making him wonder whether he'll return or not. Given the harsh economy I'm certain losing an extra pay check would hurt us all. Does 14 years of loyalty to the school count for anything anymore? While Backus battled sleepless nights the school board has taken its sweet time and slept on this much too long for a father with a newborn to endure. That's punishment enough.
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
Randy Backus was an excellent head football coach and more importantly he is a wonderful human being. The administrative staff at TCHS and specifically Athletic Director Van De Veere should be ashamed of themselves. Someone had an axe to grind.
PATHETIC!!!
Perhaps these purported negotiations revolve around what type of hoops Backus would have to continually jump through if he is to maintain the HC role. Like GA hinted, it would not be surprising if Backus has had enough of the beuacracy right now.
apologies to all for novel length read and RANT below, it just spewed out.
Miquel,
As an obvious supporter of the TC Football program, I greatly appreciate the excellent job you have done attemting to pry any info out of this situation, one that has been under wraps and closed door from the get go. NY is correct, some degree of transparency would benefit all parties.
The board members and TC admin deserve nothing better than a “D” minus on handling this “issue”.
Let’s not forget, were it not for a tremendous effort by the kids and TC assistant staff, the Rams would have remained stunned and dead in the water, and possibly suffered a season ending defeat against La Canada, following Coach Backus’s announcement to the kids the Monday of that game week. The team was still in jaw drop mode when they took the field against LC that Friday. Please don’t send any CIF semi-final credit in the direction of the decision makers – at least not for this season.
Where was the support, the extra “all hands on deck” cry from the vaunted Temple City “best high school around” folk? There was none. It was left in the hands of Loya and Valdes to somehow grab and run the team – smack dab in the heat of it all. After that came silence, for Arroyo, for Azusa and finally for Paraclete. By Paraclete, even us dumb, loyal TC’er’s had figured out the bald man was not going to be strolling in and putting his defensive stamp on anything. Anything except a resignation form that is.
No formal announcement,even by Paraclete, some 4 plus weeks later. Only a full grandstand of loyal fans all watching the kids give their all...while the powers that be were content to let it play out, go Xmas shopping or whatever it was they thought more important than stepping to the plate and giving a tenured and dedicated man a shot to propel his team toward what at season start was unthinkable, a CIF championship.
Some might argue that Dean Harrington putting on shorts to prevent 3rd degree burns on those white legs of his and joining the TC staff was support enough….it was a good thing, yeah…but far from the effort that was deserved, yet never seen.
Like Rosemead, who is to say when Temple City will again find itself at the doorstep of a title shot. The seniors, the coaching staff, the fans who return year after year, long after they or their kids played...all deserved to get every possible advantage they could, against a heavily favored opponent. Backus, I feel, deserved his seat at the table, there on the sideline.
If he did not, he would not be on campus and teaching as he is. A short tempered, violent strangler is an equal threat in a classroom or locker room. Clearly, Backus' return to classroom is an obvious indicator the admin has established he is no threat to anyone, and in fact, a valued educator in their academic scheme.
The dirt road treatment Backus has endured likely has put his resume on the launching pad toward many area schools. Even a person of his integrity must feel that those he thought were standing behind him, now are merely people he must look over his shoulder at now and again, to assure they have not changed their minds in the midst of some future controversy or challenge.
The support floor under him has creaked, and the once solid footing can no longer be trusted.
Temple City High School has earned it's reputation as a top notch place for kids to spend 4 years of their young lives. TC Champs is correct in his observations that other aspects and pursuits in curriculum and elsewhere have begun to dilute the supremacy and flagship status of the football program. It may be a lack of knowledge and understanding of what it takes to compete and win year in and year out - now prevails in the TC mountaintop. Time will tell.
Oooopps. Now I know what they mean by a Double.
Negotiations within the Board. “I’ll give you a Backus if you give my Daughter’s Flag team another Parade. Geez, it use to be Football, Basketball and Baseball. Soccer and yes Chkyrself, Softball have earned their place., but now it’s all about Band, Cheer, Song, Flag, Thespians and Singers. We now live in a NICE society than only the kids are not allowed to be nice. And when they are not nice, Mommy will make everything alright. It usually involves some threatening language. Come on TC, get off the pot.
Negotiations within the Board. “I’ll give you a Backus if you give my Daughter’s Flag team another Parade. Geez, it use to be Football, Basketball and Baseball. Soccer and yes Chkyrself, Softball have earned their place., but now it’s all about Band, Cheer, Song, Flag, Thespians and Singers. We now live in a NICE society than only the kids are not allowed to be nice. And when they are not nice, Mommy will make everything alright. It usually involves some threatening language. Come on TC, get off the pot.
Negotiations??? Who is negotiating and what are the points getting negotiated? Is this the school administrators negotiating with the board? Is it Backus vs. the board? I feel that there should be more transparency with these public agencies.
bacdoc
Let me clarify my earlier statement also. I don't know the personal relationship between the A.D. and the coach. But his statements lead me to believe that things don't look positive for the coach. My saying it was personal was stating that someone or a group of people for what ever reason feel like he's not deserving of a chance to redeem himself. If you look at my high school (Pasadena) the coach was given chances even though his record of events far exceeded Backus. And the A.D. as well as the Principal had a say with the Board because his actions had become legal. I nor any of us who blog here know the specifics of why the school is at this point, but I feel everyone is deserving of a second chance especially if the person is remorseful of wrong doing.
Let me clarify the last comment. Whether or not this is personal is not the choice of the AD. This is up to the school board.
Is it personal? Ask anyone that knows the AD and you will get your answer.
Miguel
In the world of business, when it comes to negotiations at this point they usually are asking for your resignation. The A.D. has a lot of say in this and reading your short interview tells me that Backus doesn't have his vote. This also would make the opening very appealing to a coach. Talent wise he could come in and win right away establishing his mark on the program and I think the administrators are considering this. 90% of the time coaches are brought in to change the losing culture. So letting him go when things are pointed in the right direction tells me this is personal. BTW any NEW news on Pasadena highs coaching search?
The school board, A.D. and anyone else who has a say in this matter will do the right thing and reinstate Coach B. The punishment period is over and with school back in session there is absolutely no way that the A.D. wants to go through the process of trying to find an on campus coach (teacher), posting on the CIF website, sitting down on interviews, it just ain’t gonna happen, period. All will be well in Ram country Friday afternoon…