ELLWOOD CITY – Erik Montozzi’s
players and at least one booster say the don’t want to see him leave
as the varsity baseball coach at Lincoln High School.
They came to plead his case before
the board of education Thursday night when school board members voted to
open the position and advertise for a baseball coach.
“We are here in support of Coach
Montozzi and we wish to know whey his contract will not be renewed,”
said Dave Surma, president of the Ellwood City Baseball Boosters.
Leroy Cortez, school board
president, told Surma the board was not permitted to discuss personnel
issues in public.
Following the meeting, Cortez said
the board was following its new athletic department policy that was
instituted in 2008.
He said the policy calls for any
coach to be given an initial three-year contract and then all positions
will be open each year following that period.
“It makes them more accountable,”
Cortez said.
The school board president said
they’ve already instituted the policy in the soccer program. Doug
Walters had coached the boys and girls teams. When his initial contract
ended, he was rehired on a one-year contract to coach the girl’s team,
Cortez said. The board hired Tom Natale to coach the boy’s team.
Cortez said Montozzi can reapply
for his baseball coaching position.
Recent graduate Mike Meehan told
school board members they should renew Montozzi’s contract.
“He was with us for four years and
he got the program going again,” Meehan said.
Chris Weisz, another recent
graduate, agreed.
“He cares about school. If you
don’t have the grades, you don’t play. Overall, I think he should get
another chance,” Weisz said.
(Laure Cioffi can be reached at
LaureCioffi@EllwoodCity.org)