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BY BRIAN WADDLE
bwaddle@nwitimes.com
219.933.4191 | Friday, January 21, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
PREP SPORTS
Some changes have taken place at Kankakee Valley, and there might be more to come.
Athletic director John Spinks Jr. resigned in December. It was approved at the school board's January meeting. Spinks will finish out the school year at K.V.
"I've been saying publicly it's time to move on," Spinks said. "I'll just leave it at that."
Girls basketball coach John Gray also turned in his resignation, effective at the end of the season. Gray confirmed Thursday that he resigned shortly after Christmas. He said he would be glad to talk more after the season has officially ended. The girls basketball tournament begins Feb. 8.
"I don't want to say too much right now," said Gray, the Kougars' girls coach for seven seasons. "I'm trying to get through the season and then I'll make some decisions (on the future)."
Tom Black, K.V.'s boys basketball coach the past six seasons, declined comment when asked if he resigned, effective at the end of the season. Black said he wouldn't comment on the situation until after the season. Black has been at the school for seven years.
Kankakee Valley school board president John Heerema said each coach's two-year contract expires after this season.
"All I've heard through the grapevine is that they've resigned. That's all I've heard," said Heerema, who has been on the board for 21 years. "The rumors are they've resigned and the seasons aren't even over yet.
"I don't know anybody who wants to be a coach -- you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. You can't keep everybody happy. It's like being a school board member."
Heerema denied rumors that the school board had anything to do with the resignations, or that the board was meddling in K.V. athletics, according to some former coaches.
"Rumors are always flying around about coaches; we don't pay too much attention to that," Heerema said. "We'll wait until the seasons are over to discuss the matters. If there's any concerns -- if they want to come back, they don't want to come back -- we'll see."
Gray, who has been at K.V. the past 12 years, coached the girls JV for four seasons, compiling a 48-26 record. Gray replaced Frank Ginzer, who was fired after eight seasons and a 102-63 record that included three sectional titles. In a story published in The Times on June 25, 1998, Ginzer said everybody was in his corner "but the school board."
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