Just a few days after the Coronado Unified School District let go of longtime CHS football coach Kurt Hines, the administration made an announcement: Hines will be replaced by CHS teacher and former college and professional football player Josh Dean.
“After five years of teaching at CHS, I am honored and humbled to further devote myself to this community as coach,” said Dean in a press release sent out by the district today. “Football is what truly animates me, and I’m excited to share the passion and joy this game has given me with current and future Islanders.”
According to the district, Dean played as quarterback at Willamette University where he tallied a 15-4 career record as a starter, set six school records, and twice received conference honors. After college, he played four successful seasons professionally in Europe.
“Josh is full of energy, and completely committed to building a program that makes every Islander — players, parents, students and alumni — proud,” said CHS Principal Karin Mellina.
But this change came as a big surprise to Kurt Hines, who’s coached the Islanders for the last nine years. He said he was blindsided when administration asked to meet with him on Tuesday, and told him they weren’t renewing his contract.
Hines said he’d led his team to the playoffs seven times in the last nine years, and helped the team win the sportsmanship award for their conference. He also grew the team from 32 players — 12 of whom were not academically eligible — to a team of 72, with every single player meeting academic requirements.
“This wasn’t on my radar; it came out of nowhere. They told me they were going in a different direction,” said Hines. “I asked, ‘what did I do?'”
The administration wouldn’t give him an answer. He said the district told him he was an “at will” employee, which means they don’t have to give a reason for not renewing a contract. According to an email from the district, all California public school coaches are considered “at-will” employees and their contracts are renewed annually.
Employers and employees in an “at will” relationship can terminate the relationship for any reason, or no reason at all … as long as it’s not an illegal one. Neither party is required to give notice, according to state law.
Hines said that he doesn’t believe the decision was performance-related. He thinks it could be something else.
“I think I know what it is about,” he said. “There’s no proof to that, and I don’t think anyone from the district will even touch on this, but there have been complaints recently and a little bit last year about the team bible study we hold, which is non-mandatory.”
Hines shared that about 25 players attend the CHS football weekly bible studies. He said they were student-led and orchestrated by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. While no one was required to participate, some people didn’t like it.
“There were people in the community on Facebook, I’m not going to mention names, that complained that this was happening at a public school,” he said.
Hines said that last year, he had meetings with CHS Principal Karin Mellina and Superintendent Karl Mueller, who had said there were some complaints about the bible studies. They asked him how he was running it. Hines said he answered their questions, and that was it. He said he walked away thinking everything was fine.
“But I always knew in the forefront of my mind, that [the Bible studies] weren’t a popular thing to do,” he said. “But then I think, in today’s day when schools can have clubs for anything and everything, and as long as it was done through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which is a non-profit organization, and it’s student led, and it’s non-mandatory.”
When asked if kids who wanted playing time might feel compelled to participate in the Bible studies to win the coach’s favor, Hines said it was a good question.
“Not that this couldn’t have happened, but it was never brought to my attention if it did,” he said. “I never had a family state concerns like that.”
While he acknowledged that some of the 25 men who attend the Bible studies are, in fact, starters, the great majority were not. He said he never held anything against the players who chose not to attend, and everyone was treated fairly.
“It wasn’t an issue,” said Hines.
Shortly after Hines got the news, he posted a video about his termination on Instagram, sharing that the last nine years were spent with “blood, sweat and tears, praying day and night.” Since then, dozens of community members and friends, including current players, have reached out to Hines in support.
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Spencer Reidarson, who served as a team captain, said he’s heartbroken over the news.
“You know, I feel that he was such a big figure in my life,” said Reidarson. “The life lessons he gave were incredible, and I just feel that he always meant the best.”
Stanley Guymon shared that Hines and his staff were a positive and influential part of his growth and success as a player and a person.
“He always focused on developing us as a student first, and then an athlete,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for Coach Hines as a mentor and a leader, and I’m fortunate to have played for him for four years.”
Aaron Brooks, the athletic director for CHS, said Hines served their program with “enthusiasm and integrity.” He said they appreciated his years of leadership and dedication to students athletes and the community.
Hines said while his termination feels unfortunate, overall, his experience at CHS has been “nothing but a blessing.” He said he’s already received several job offers, but isn’t going to rush into anything.
But most of all, he wants his players to know that he will continue to be there for them.
“What I have to make sure I do in this situation is not abandon the young men that I have been blessed to coach, and just continue to be there for them, and not feed into any anger or hate or frustration,” he said. “I want to be there and listen to them and be a voice.”
Coach Hines was fair, professional and dedicated in his efforts and time to creating an atmosphere for guiding young men in HS. We can attest to no favoritism to Bible study participants- our son attended most of the Bible studies and only played a hand full of snaps. They will need to look at the ACs…more issues there than with the HC.
Shame on them! Their loss! Hines deserves way better anyways!
If parents were unhappy, why didn’t they have the courage to approach Coach Hines? If the District was unhappy why didn’t they approach Coach Hines? Kurt worked for a friend of mine at Christian Unified Schools in El Cajon. He was always considered a terrific teacher and coach there. I’m so disappointed in our school board and administration, they could have directed parents to bring their concerns to Coach Hines rather than taking the coward’s way out and allowing them to have this kind of untoward influence.
Coach Hines – My name is Bill McDonald and I was a head coach for 50 years, in baseball, at Shawnee Mission South and Blue Valley West HS in Overland Park Kansas – Overland Park is on the West side of Kansas City Mo – I wan to congratulate you on your tremedous success in coaching the young men at Coronado HS – I have seen such action before to coaches that place a value in the Lord – You are not a failure, Coronado just was not the place for you – I was involved in the FCA for many many years and attended their annual banquet and heard the best of the best encourage us to involve ourselves within the Huddle Groups within our schools and in the Overland Park schools and tremendous success is happening – My wife and I have come to Coronado since 1998 during our schools Spring Break – I have run by your football field so many times and wondered what type of coach fills these positions – What I now know is that Coronado has lost a young man that leads young men and teaches what to stand for within your beliefs – Young students, girls and boys, need you in their lives – Our role models standing in front of them today do not represent you and what your parents gave to you – So stand tall – Look to the future because your future will be very bright for you and all those young people that are looking for your leadership
As a former graduate, (‘62), I am ashamed of this blatant attack on a coach who sought only to help his players be the best they could be personally and spiritually. This is no longer the community in which I was raised and loved.
This is SO CORONADO
This isn’t the first coach they’ve used the “at will” defense as a reason for firing. CUSD has already rapidly set a poor reputation to the rest of SD County; this is not the District that values or defends coaches. It’s clear this District only makes the easy decisions and not the right ones. This is such an example of poor and weak leadership from the Superintendent to our School Board…continual no support of teachers or staff. What a joke and so shameful. How many quality coaches has CUSD thrown on the scrap heap to placate parents? And lastly, a replacement named within 48 hours of letting Coach Hines go? Unbelievable, what about posting and interviewing candidates? What a set-up and what a horrendous look for our town.
So sad to see such a good coach let go.
A cowardly decision and action by CUSD leadership. Shameful.
once again CUSD treating a coach poorly
first