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Pitts steps down

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:41 am
by MTCat75

Re: Pitts steps down

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:49 am
by kennethnoisewater
I hate this. He's done a great job there and I don't know what happened--not one clue. I've seen lots of coaches who got fed up with the rules. I've seen lots of coaches of successful programs who got fed up with the fact that they didn't get some special treatment. My first thought is that the school administrators had to work within the constraints of the MHSA, the Arlee School District bylaws, and whatever else. For anybody in the business world, it's like Zanen has built two very successful businesses: The Arlee Warriors Basketball team and the Warrior Project non-profit. It would make sense that Zanen, with all of his success, all of his influence, and all of his clout, would want to run his businesses the way he wants to run them. The school board and administrators, following the rules they're charged to follow, can't let him run his businesses like a successful business operator should.

Again, I have no idea what happened here. This is my guess. But having been an administrator and a coach, this is what pops into my mind when I read this. MAYBE the administration is completely wrong. MAYBE Zanen is being a prima donna. Whatever happened, it's too bad. Maybe this is better for the Warrior Movement and this will allow it to flourish, and that Arlee can find a solid coach to continue the success they've had in recent years.

Re: Pitts steps down

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 1:02 pm
by allcat
kennethnoisewater wrote:
Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:49 am
I hate this. He's done a great job there and I don't know what happened--not one clue. I've seen lots of coaches who got fed up with the rules. I've seen lots of coaches of successful programs who got fed up with the fact that they didn't get some special treatment. My first thought is that the school administrators had to work within the constraints of the MHSA, the Arlee School District bylaws, and whatever else. For anybody in the business world, it's like Zanen has built two very successful businesses: The Arlee Warriors Basketball team and the Warrior Project non-profit. It would make sense that Zanen, with all of his success, all of his influence, and all of his clout, would want to run his businesses the way he wants to run them. The school board and administrators, following the rules they're charged to follow, can't let him run his businesses like a successful business operator should.

Again, I have no idea what happened here. This is my guess. But having been an administrator and a coach, this is what pops into my mind when I read this. MAYBE the administration is completely wrong. MAYBE Zanen is being a prima donna. Whatever happened, it's too bad. Maybe this is better for the Warrior Movement and this will allow it to flourish, and that Arlee can find a solid coach to continue the success they've had in recent years.
The continued success is much tougher for the team, but I do hope the Warrior movement can thrive.

Re: Pitts steps down

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 1:07 pm
by kennethnoisewater
allcat wrote:
Thu Jun 13, 2019 1:02 pm
kennethnoisewater wrote:
Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:49 am
I hate this. He's done a great job there and I don't know what happened--not one clue. I've seen lots of coaches who got fed up with the rules. I've seen lots of coaches of successful programs who got fed up with the fact that they didn't get some special treatment. My first thought is that the school administrators had to work within the constraints of the MHSA, the Arlee School District bylaws, and whatever else. For anybody in the business world, it's like Zanen has built two very successful businesses: The Arlee Warriors Basketball team and the Warrior Project non-profit. It would make sense that Zanen, with all of his success, all of his influence, and all of his clout, would want to run his businesses the way he wants to run them. The school board and administrators, following the rules they're charged to follow, can't let him run his businesses like a successful business operator should.

Again, I have no idea what happened here. This is my guess. But having been an administrator and a coach, this is what pops into my mind when I read this. MAYBE the administration is completely wrong. MAYBE Zanen is being a prima donna. Whatever happened, it's too bad. Maybe this is better for the Warrior Movement and this will allow it to flourish, and that Arlee can find a solid coach to continue the success they've had in recent years.
The continued success is much tougher for the team, but I do hope the Warrior movement can thrive.
Me too. And that matters a hell of a lot more than a successful basketball program.

Re: Pitts steps down

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 6:08 pm
by coachouert
There may be more to the story...


Re: Pitts steps down

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 6:38 pm
by KittieKop
There's always more to the story.

Re: Pitts steps down

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:34 pm
by kennethnoisewater
About what I expected. Superstar coach with a team making a big difference in the community, the state and beyond. Hard not to want some recognition or special treatment for that, but a school just can't do it. I know Jim Baldwin and he's been at this a long time. Plenty of experience on and off the reservations. He's a good, fair man.

I don't think breaking a whiteboard after a win is that big of a deal--that kind of stuff happens all the time and somebody takes care of the expense. I had a school come into our place for a basketball game, beat us, and did some damage to our locker room. They promptly took care of it in a way that actually gave me a higher opinion of that school than before they did it. But Jim mentioned that because Zanen allegedly wasn't willing to own that. That's too bad. Having said that, Zanen has to be looking at this like "I've made so much money for this school district and brought so much positive publicity to this town and this school, but they're going to rake me over the coals for a whiteboard?" I get that, and it has to be frustrating, but school districts just can't give special treatment to even the best programs.

The part of this that we don't know is what those board members wanted. Why did they want him gone? That's where some corruption can come in, not from the Superintendent, IMO.