Two former Marble Falls coaches receive teaching-only contracts; district taking applications for basketball positions
MARBLE FALLS — Two Marble Falls Middle School faculty asked to step down as coaches have the option to stay on as teachers only, officials said April 18.
Teaching-only contracts have been extended to Kevin McLean and Craig Orton, said Rob O’Connor, superintendent of the Marble Falls Independent School District. Meanwhile, the fate of coach Jeremy Gamez remains unclear. While he has a dual teachers-coaches contract, O’Connor said Gamez still is subject to assignment from athletic director Todd Dodge.
Dodge, however, has said there is no spot on the coaching staff for Gamez.
Dodge, who was hired Jan. 23, is building a new coaching staff, a process that has included telling some existing coaches they didn’t make the cut.
McLean’s and Orton’s qualifications match some teaching positions that have come open, O’Connor said.
There is no opening for a high school biology teacher, which is what Gamez is certified to teach.
“What he’ll do in the future is still pending,” the superintendent said.
Meanwhile, the positions of boys head basketball coach and the girls head basketball coach/girls athletic coordinator were posted April 16 on the websites of the school district, the Texas High School Coaches Association and the Texas Girls Coaches Association, Dodge said.
He wants to start interviewing candidates in a week and make recommendations to the School Board in May, he said.
By April 17, 50 coaches had applied for the Lady Mustangs job, while 25 applied for the Mustangs position.
“There is quality in there,” Dodge said. “There’s definitely people interested. Not only are we taking resumes, I’m going out and recruiting.”
Ideal candidates will have head coaching experience or have been top assistants at Class 5A programs, he said.
Basketball coaches Stephanie Gamble and Bruce Etheridge — who both resigned — Travis Crain and David President won’t be on the staff next season.
But Lady Mustangs basketball assistant coaches Carrie Grona and Renee Grumbles and volleyball coaches Julie Downs, Tino Salazar (who also is the head softball coach) and Lerin Polley all will be retained, officials said.
Each new head coach will be allowed to bring their top assistant, Dodge said.
Dodge won’t post the position of head baseball coach until after the season ends.
“I don’t want to miss out on any candidates,” he said. “I want to focus on the men’s and women’s jobs now.”
The School Board approved hiring J.P. Gray, a freshman football and varsity assistant coach, and offensive line coach Ben Norton during a meeting April 16.