Lincoln Coach

Saw online the AD recommended the coach keep his job but school board is going to fire him?

Waited a while to respond to this until after I'd talked to some of my Lincoln acquaintances. This is the story as I know it-

When taking the job, Coach Silkowski had a few remaining assistants that were wanting to stay. Pretty sure he kept all of them as he was pretty desperate for help. One of these included the DC. For reasons I won't get into, sometime during the season Coach Silkowski decided to relieve that coach of his duties. That coach was obviously unhappy about this decision, as we all would be, but maybe different than what most of us would do is he went on a PR tour about how he'd been wronged. Eventually things died down and everyone went about their lives.

Except the former assistant. He ran for, and was elected to the school board with really no other agenda than to get rid of Silkowski. I had never met this guy, but at our Board/New Teacher lunch we had he did approach me and said flattering things about my past and said "I hope you like it and stick around awhile. Hopefully you'd be interested in being our HC. It should be open soon." Little did he or anyone else know was I'd already decided to quit coaching- especially there- and was waiting to see how the school year went before I made a decision on teaching.

Fast forward to this year. After last spring's board election the former assistant had gained a few other axe grinders and I pretty much figured that if they didn't get to the playoffs Coach was probably done. However, the former assistant didn't anticipate players, their parents and the community giving them the amount of backlash they got. They didn't accept the resignation they told him to hand in and from what I understand, it's up to Coach Silkowski on whether or not he wants to stay. Personally, I'd tell them to shove it, but I don't know what he'll do.

I will end with this- I wouldn't wish that job upon my worst enemy. That district is a \"f\"ing disaster.

If I were him I would resign. Once you have hostile board members it makes life too miserable.

It does. I was at Jacksonville when they tried to force out a basketball coach. Drawing a total blank on the name, but he ended up at Limestone eventually for a few years. Anyway, the board caved to community pressure because they didn't really have reason to fire him. So...the next year the board just covered their bases better and fired him anyway.

wolverine55 wrote:It does.  I was at Jacksonville when they tried to force out a basketball coach.  Drawing a total blank on the name, but he ended up at Limestone eventually for a few years.  Anyway, the board caved to community pressure because they didn't really have reason to fire him.  So...the next year the board just covered their bases better and fired him anyway.

was that sparrow?

It was. That's the name I blanked on. I should have added that it wasn't just community pressure. The teachers and really most of the school employees were very upset with how he was fired as well.

wolverine55 wrote:It was.  That's the name I blanked on.  I should have added that it wasn't just community pressure.  The teachers and really most of the school employees were very upset with how he was fired as well.

i know it was handled very poorly. if i remember correctly, the boe meeting lasted later than 3am.

HI, correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't he done a pretty good job of improving the program over the last couple of years? I am basing this solely on a 4-5 record this season but thought they struggled to even win games a few years ago.

Personal vendetta's always come back to get you if he leaves the district, I am sure he will find better teaching and coaching job elsewhere, and the program will be worse off in the future.

dusty7 wrote:HI, correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't he done a pretty good job of improving the program over the last couple of years?  I am basing this solely on a 4-5 record this season but thought they struggled to even win games a few years ago.  

Personal vendetta's always come back to get you if he leaves the district, I am sure he will find better teaching and coaching job elsewhere, and the program will be worse off in the future.    

They have scheduled well. Their 3 non conference games went a combined 2-25 with one of the wins against them. They went 2-4 in a rather pedestrian, if not bad, Apollo outside Effingham and Mt Zion, whom they were destroyed by. In the CS8, they struggle to go 2-7IMO.

And this year was "the year". They will be very poor for a few years to come.

I will just say that personally, I would never coach in that program again. Take that how you will as it has several facets.

Leaving HF for Lincoln had to be a massive pay cut to be a head coach.

He makes 60k with coaching at Lincoln. With cost of living differences, he's probably doing well. I also don't think he was a full time teacher at HF.

Lincoln does not have a pay scale. One teacher may make 75k with a masters
+0 and 20 years and another may make 85 with a masters +0 and 20 years.

Head Idiot wrote:.

And this year was "the year". They will be very poor for a few years to come.

I think they had 18 or 19 seniors. They played hard and could have easily been 7-2. I think if the program had a tradition of winning they would have at least made the playoffs.

The Apollo had a MASSIVE drop off from Mt. Zion and Effingham. I know I am echoing HI, but it was a huge chasm between those teams and the rest of the league. The crazy thing is those programs started a lot of young players. There is an equally large gap in quality (at least) between the CS8 and the Apollo.

They would be crazy to fire someone who wants to coach there.

Head Idiot wrote:
Lincoln does not have a pay scale. One teacher may make 75k with a masters
+0 and 20 years and another may make 85 with a masters +0 and 20 years.

Don't they have a union? How is this possible in Illinois?

OldTitan wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:
Lincoln does not have a pay scale. One teacher may make 75k with a masters
+0 and 20 years and another may make 85 with a masters +0 and 20 years.

Don't they have a union? How is this possible in Illinois?

Their union president makes 80k+, he doesn't care. Pretty much their whole union leadership was 70+.

Lady across the hall from me had exactly the same years in as me, but had a masters. She made 75k, I made 43. I understand that a masters is worth a lot, but 30k a year? Another math teacher had the same years and education as her and made 84k.

Basically they ask you what you want to make and then negotiate with you. I needed to get a job so I only put a couple grand over what I made at Sullivan- without coaching obviously. The others I mentioned put what it would take for them to leave their jobs. Only 8 full time teachers made less than me.

Head Idiot wrote:Basically they ask you what you want to make and then negotiate with you.

I'm familiar with that system of remuneration.

Teetime wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:Basically they ask you what you want to make and then negotiate with you.

I'm familiar with that system of remuneration.

When you're good at something, never do it for free.

Did the guy resign or get fired yet?

Neither. Preparing for next year.