PORT TOWNSEND — Members of the Port Townsend High School boys basketball team are moving forward in the wake of the controversial removal of former head coach Russ Hickman.
“We’re just thinking of it as a way to start over,” senior Aaron Kenna said after Friday’s home game.
“It’s a new season for us. We have new plays, a whole new attitude — and it’s a good start for us.”
John Stroeder was named interim head coach after Hickman, who remains a teacher and the school’s athletic director, was relieved of his coaching duties.
Hickman was asked to resign in part due to an incident during a Jan. 11 home game against Sequim, according to Port Townsend School Board chair Loren Monroe.
A video recording of that game shows Kenna calling a timeout with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter.
As the Redskins return to the bench, Kenna and Hickman exchange words that cannot be heard on the tape. Hickman then sits down as the team huddles by itself.
Halfcourt meeting
During two more timeouts — with 19.7 and 8.1 seconds left in regulation — Kenna, freshman Aaron Gifford, senior Shane Monroe, and juniors Ian Robinson and Kevin Robichaux meet at halfcourt while Hickman remains on the bench.
Later, the game goes into overtime tied at 50 and Hickman resumes coaching.
He continues to coach the team through the extra period but Sequim ends up winning 58-56.
Loren Monroe, father of Shane Monroe, has described the incident like this:
“Basically, the coach got upset about one of the players calling a timeout . . . and took exception to it and if somebody else wanted to coach the team, he (Hickman) was going to sit out the rest of the game.
“He basically just sat there the rest of the game. There were a couple of other timeouts called after that and the coach and the players did not interact after that.”
Hickman baffled
When interviewed before Friday’s game, where he was fulfilling his athletic director duties, Hickman said he was baffled by the entire situation.
He said he met with high school principal Carrie Ehrhardt at 9 a.m. on Jan. 17.
“She delivered an ultimatum: resign or be fired,” Hickman said.
Hickman said his understanding is that the ultimatum was handed down by Schools Superintendent Carol Andreasen.
Hickman said he has twice met with Andreasen since his meeting with the principal. He has not submitted his coaching resignation nor did he say he plans to.
“If I told you this whole story, you wouldn’t believe it anyway,” he said Friday night.
“One of these days when it’s all settled, I’ll be able to say something.”
