Fogarty resigns from Houlton post

Houlton High School boys’ basketball coach Mike Fogarty has resigned.
The cause of that resignation has sparked a controversy in the way the Maine Principals’ Association and Fogarty, as a coach, interpreted the interscholastic policy (below).
    Coaches or advisors are prohibited from coaching or giving instructions about a sport to members of their teams individually or collectively outside the sport season for that sport.
On the off season, Fogarty has been helping to coach his daughter’s Youth Basketball of America team  — the Presque Isle Catz — since she was in middle school on the weekends.
“Dave DeMerchant has four or five teams and he always had a dad help out,” said Fogarty. “He asked me to help out and I love doing it.”
At a tournament at the beginning of the YBOA season, Fogarty was not allowed to sit on the bench because the director pointed out it would be a violation of the sports season policy. Once learning that there may be a problem with helping coach the team since his daughter, Amanda is now a high school freshman, Fogarty inquired about rulings on the issue.
“I called Dick Durost, executive director of the MPA, and he informed me that  it would be in violation of the out of season policy. I asked him to point me in the direction where that policy was so I could review it.”
Durost did that. But, after taking a look at the policy, Fogarty said, “It doesn’t state that.”
Fogarty through the process of evaluating the policy noticed a waiver process. So he asked Houlton Principal Marty Bouchard to submit a waiver on his behalf to the Interscholastic Management Committee. The waiver notice was sent a week into the YBOA season, but it was not heard until the MPA spring meeting last week.
“I had already missed a couple of weeks of coaching,” said Fogarty. “But, I wanted things cleared up.”
Fogarty presented his case to the Interscholastic Management Committee three times to three separate administrators.
“They raised their hand to make a motion to approve the waiver, but it never went to a second for a vote,” Fogarty explained.
Then another administrator motioned to go into executive session. After comments, an administrator raised a hand, motioning to deny the request; it was seconded, voted and declined.
“I thought it was better to get permission than to ask forgiveness,” Fogarty said. “They implied that they would look at the policy.”
However, Fogarty wanted a clearer definition.
“After conversations with several administrators and coaches throughout the state, there seems to be quite a difference of opinions as it relates to the intent and spirit of the coaching out of sport season policy,” wrote Fogarty in an e-mail.
“If that is true then principals and athletic administrators are not distributing the coaches’ handbook, including the Q&A section to their coaches,” replied Durost.
“In our conversation the other day, we discussed this scenario: If my daughter was not on this travel team and the other members of the team were not from Houlton High School, you stated that I could coach this team,” wrote Fogarty. “We also discussed the situation of a coach working out with an athlete out of season would be in violation. How would that pertain to me shooting hoops with my daughter in the back yard? Based on the fact that I am a coach and she is a student/athlete of Houlton High School?”, Fogarty asked.
“What you do as a parent in the backyard is an entirely different situation than coaching a team in competition,” Durost responded.
“There is a coaches’ handbook, which includes guidelines with lots of Q&A about situations, but it contradicts itself,” explained Fogarty. “But, the MPA doesn’t want to budge. In a common sense approach, with the intent and spirit, I don’t think I’m crossing any lines with my request.
“Show me where I’ve been in violation of the policy,” he added. “I raised the question. Please explain to me how this is truly a violation.”
According to Durost, the IMC did look at Fogarty’s case individually.
“They did not believe it rose to the level that deserved a waiver of the policy that everyone else, including other parent/coaches accept and live by,” he said.
Fogarty handed in his resignation on Monday, March 23 and met with his next year’s captains on Tuesday and text messaged his players so they heard the news from him directly.
“I want to be able to spend time with my daughter coaching her team,” he said. “The MPA has denied me that right.”
Although he has sought advice from an attorney, he doesn’t plan on legal action.
“I ran this by a couple of attorneys,” he said. “I just wanted to see if I was out in left field. And, I’m not. Sue? Absolutely not. It doesn’t do anyone any good. They feel what I am doing is appropriate.”
That action is pressing the issue for a change.
It’s a Catch 22 for Fogarty if he were to remain with the boys’ program into next year. If he stayed and continues to build on his program and the MPA does or doesn’t make a decision, is it fair to the program? His daughter has two more years of off season play. If the MPA does change its interpretation when they meet, Fogarty leaves the boys’ program and the new hire doesn’t really know the players and it’s a tough start to the season. If the MPA doesn’t change its ruling and he is still coach of the boys’ team, he is in the same predicament as now.
“I don’t think I can win either way,” he said. “In my mind, the best thing is to step away now. Let someone else come in and work with the kids and get to know them and be hitting the ground running come fall.
“I don’t want to resign, I love coaching the boys and it’s been a great learning experience. I can’t take that chance that the MPA may change the policy.”
With so much emphasis on coaching his daughter, Fogarty made it clear he was not seeking to coach his daughter at the varsity level, just in the off season.
“During the season, I am wrapped up in my own season,” he said. “SAD 29 has been extremely supportive in making sure I didn’t miss my daughter’s games. During the season, we don’t get a lot of time together, so once the season is over, I want that time.
“I enjoy my daughter and we have fun,” he added. “Will there be regrets, possibly. Will I miss the boys, absolutely. This has nothing to do with the boys’ program. I enjoyed it and I put a lot into it and I hope [the players] gained from it.”
“Certainly, it was not an easy resignation to accept,” said Principal Bouchard. “Mike has done a great job for SAD 29 as the leader of the boys’ program. I certainly know his heart was not in the decision. He is feeling he had his hand forced. It’s a unique situation. There actually may be movement by the MPA where he could do both. But, at this point, it hasn’t happened.”
“As a parent, it’s hard,” Fogarty said. “I have one chance to be a dad. She wants me to be part of this. I’m sacrificing something I enjoy, but I don’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy being with her. She’s more important to me.”
“We will be advertising the position,” Bouchard said. “We will be looking for a coach who will be a positive role model to our student-athletes, has high standards on and off the court, is someone with a vast knowledge of the game and knows how to work with high school-aged students.”
Fogarty didn’t expect his request to become such a focal point.
“This is not a vendetta between myself and Dick Durost,” Fogarty said. “Am I frustrated with the way the MPA handled the situation? Absolutely or I wouldn’t have done this. But, down the road, someone else is going to fall into this situation if they haven’t already.”