A New Jersey high school recently released 45 head and assistant coaches, asking them to reapply for their positions in an effort to ensure all were fully vetted.
Newark Unified School District (NUSD) superintendent Tracey Vackar, told the Tri-City Voice, that the decision came from “the division that oversees staffing from the district,” with guidance from Human Resources.
According to a Newark Memorial High School coach who preferred to stay anonymous, the shakeup caused confusion and frustration.
“It’s happened before where a new HR person comes in, we just have to fill out paperwork,” said the NMHS coach. “But then we were told, no, the positions are posted, you have to submit a resume, get a letter of recommendation, you have to go through a formal interview process against other competitive candidates. At that point people were frustrated.”
Vackar explained to the Tri-City Voice via email that the main reason for the release is “an effort to ensure all coaches were properly hired and clearances are met.” In another email she added, “Historically, coaches were not consistently required to complete a formal application process [or] participate in interviews.”
Coaches said that prospective hires actually had to go through multiple interviews.
Some were frustrated that the change came in the middle of the school years, which Vackar said was intentional, as it allows "the site to advertise and interview potential new candidates."
NMHS alum Filip Nowak said he was disappointed in the decision to release the coaches.
“We should express immense gratitude to the coaches, many of whom have been fulfilling their roles for decades,” said Nowak in his email. “I’m not sure I can think of a way to show more contempt for them and everything they have done than treating them as completely expendable through an action like this.”
