Trimble suspended from coaching at Jenks

[GG]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/highschool/article.aspx?subjectid=227&articleid=20091002_227_0_Jenksf378416

Jenks football coach Allan Trimble has been suspended from his coaching duties the remainder of this semester, according to Jenks superintendent Kirby Lehman.

The coach who led Jenks to nine state championships since taking over in 1996 will no longer lead the Trojans this season. He won't coach tonight's road game against Sapulpa. Offensive coordinator Loren Montgomery has been named interim coach.

"He has not resigned, has not been asked to resign and resignation was never discussed," Lehman said in an interview this afternoon.

But Trimble is among three members of the Jenks athletic department who have been suspended in the wake of the school's penalties for using an ineligible player in the 2008 season. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association forced Jenks to forfeit nine wins in 2008.

Others suspended at Jenks are athletic director Tony Dillingham for 15 days, and assistant football coach David Alexander for two games.

[GG]

It's about time.................. Union is doing the same thing. 

I know for a fact because a kid I know transferred to Union his Jr year.  His mother was given a job and a place to live in the Union district.

There is a reason these two schools have dominated the 6A division for the last 10 plus years.

[sgrizzle]

It's about time.................. Union is doing the same thing. 

I know for a fact because a kid I know transferred to Union his Jr year.  His mother was given a job and a place to live in the Union district.

There is a reason these two schools have dominated the 6A division for the last 10 plus years.

Ironically from someone named "unreliable source"

[Wilbur]

It's about time.................. Union is doing the same thing. 

I know for a fact because a kid I know transferred to Union his Jr year.  His mother was given a job and a place to live in the Union district.

There is a reason these two schools have dominated the 6A division for the last 10 plus years.

And don't believe it is just happening with football.  I've heard of baseball and swimming doing the same thing.

They're cheaters... plain and simple.  The coaches end up tarnishing the student's reputation.

[TheTed]

You'd think getting caught blatantly cheating would be enough to get you fired. Apparently it's not if you're a good football coach. If the people of Jenks have any intestinal fortitude whatsoever, they'll see to it he does not return.

[waterboy]

In high school sports, one player can make the difference between powerhouse and parity. Jenks and Union have long been rumored to shop the Tulsa system for those players. It will be difficult to prove however. These guys are pretty subtle.

[Breadburner]

Ironically from someone named "unreliable source"

Sorry Grizz...He nailed this one....

[sgrizzle]

Sorry Grizz...He nailed this one....

You know the same kid?

[cannon_fodder]

To me it is pretty obvious that something has been going on.  What are the odds that two Tulsa schools would dominate the top division year in and year out?  Some of it could be attributed to coaching or the desire of families with football prospects to be in that district - but the consistency of it is very telling.

And as long as I have lived here people have told me that the best athletes are "recruited" by the top high schools.  Not to the official extent, and usually the accusation isn't a payola scandal.  Just that such and such booster or school official helped them find an apartment and get enrolled.  Everyone just seemed to accept it as normal.

Then again, when athletics becomes business and THE FOCUS of a community, then winning becomes an essential focus.  I don't think varsity high school sports should be "yay, everyone gets equal time!" (kids have to learn all people aren't equal in all things at some point), but I at the end of the day it shouldn't be a business either.  The Union Redskins Football pregame show is brought to you by MegaCorp . . .   

When it became a business it was inevitable that corruption would increase.  College sports went the exact same way and but-for strict policing by the NCAA it would be an all out pro-system in one season (it's damn close at the top level, *cough* USC *cough*).   Bear in mind that they weren't caught, they were ratted out.  So my guess is Jenks isn't alone in their tactics.

[Conan71]

This is nothing new.  Everyone knew Kejuan Jones was "recruited" by Jenks.  Mother or Grandmother was found a job and a decent rental in the Jenks district.  No one even tried to keep that a secret.

[sgrizzle]

Could someone explain the dividing line between helping someone in a tough financial situation out and illegal recruiting?

Are we saying that kids transferring to Union or Jenks to play is only a problem if they're poor?

[cannon_fodder]

Could someone explain the dividing line between helping someone in a tough financial situation out and illegal recruiting?

As I understand it, a coach, booster, or someone affiliated with the program can not help a prospective athlete move into the district . . . period.  They can't help find apartments, get jobs, waive transfer rules, find someone to room with, or help pay for utilities.    In college football a booster can't do anything to assist in recruiting or even look like they are doing anything that might be recruiting, in high school sports there isn't supposed to BE any recruiting so no one associated with the program can do anything.

If the coaches want to help out they can contribute to their church, the United Way, Catholic Charities, Habitat . . . or any number of charities.  They can NOT find top caliber athletes and decide they need help and then maybe they'll play on the team.  Basically, if it could possibly be considered some kind of recruitment - then it should be avoided. 

How many poor kids that don't play football did the coaches help move to the district?  How many non-athletes did they find jobs for their parents?  Find somewhere for them to live?  Pay their utilities?

The answer is really irrelevant, because they can't even have the impression of "recruiting" according to the rules.  Coaches, boosters, and anyone associated with the program are supposed to sit back and play with the kids in the district.  Any activity that can be seen as encouraging players to come to the district or stay outside of institutional improvement is verboten!

[sgrizzle]

As I understand it, a coach, booster, or someone affiliated with the program can not help a prospective athlete move into the district . . . period.  They can't help find apartments, get jobs, waive transfer rules, find someone to room with, or help pay for utilities.    In college football a booster can't do anything to assist in recruiting or even look like they are doing anything that might be recruiting, in high school sports there isn't supposed to BE any recruiting so no one associated with the program can do anything.

If the coaches want to help out they can contribute to their church, the United Way, Catholic Charities, Habitat . . . or any number of charities.  They can NOT find top caliber athletes and decide they need help and then maybe they'll play on the team.  Basically, if it could possibly be considered some kind of recruitment - then it should be avoided. 

How many poor kids that don't play football did the coaches help move to the district?  How many non-athletes did they find jobs for their parents?  Find somewhere for them to live?  Pay their utilities?

The answer is really irrelevant, because they can't even have the impression of "recruiting" according to the rules.  Coaches, boosters, and anyone associated with the program are supposed to sit back and play with the kids in the district.  Any activity that can be seen as encouraging players to come to the district or stay outside of institutional improvement is verboten!

I heard that some of the "questionable" activities in the Jenks case was helping someone who was already in the district.

[Wilbur]

And as long as I have lived here people have told me that the best athletes are "recruited" by the top high schools.  Not to the official extent, and usually the accusation isn't a payola scandal.  Just that such and such booster or school official helped them find an apartment and get enrolled.  Everyone just seemed to accept it as normal.

It usually boils down to asking a school district resident to change the name on their water bill to reflect the name of a parent of a recruit so they can use the water bill as proof of residency, even though the recruit doesn't live in that district.

[cannon_fodder]

I heard that some of the "questionable" activities in the Jenks case was helping someone who was already in the district.

As I understand it an assistant coach gave ~$500 to a family of a player to turn utilities back on.  You can't do that, unless you made a habit of donating money to everyone who needs to have their utilities turned back on.  Even if he was just doing it to be a nice guy, it has the appearance of malfeasance and is therefor banned.