Gloucester City School Board Appoints New Basketball Coach; Some People Not Happy with the Selection Process By Bill Cleary GLOUCESTER CITY NJ--(cnbnews.net)The Gloucester City Board of Education, at the July 23 meeting, named Liam James as the new coach for the boys’ high school basketball team for the upcoming season. James will replace Kevin Hagan. Salary for the position is approximately $5,000. According to our sources there were five other candidates who applied for the position: Adam Carpenter, Josh Cassidy, Robert Chew, Richard Maunz, and Chuck Thomson. The interview committee consisted of High School Principal Jack Don, Athletic Director Leon Harris, Facilities Director John Kenney and School Superintendent Joseph Rafferty. The 24-year-old James is a life-long resident of Gloucester City. He graduated from Gloucester City High School in 2007. Presently he is employed by Gateway High School, Deptford Township, as a social studies teacher. As for his credentials for this position, he was an assistant basketball coach last year for the Gloucester High girls’ basketball team. According to the Courier Post, James was a star football and basketball player in high school. He played basketball under Tom Torillo and earned All-Tri-County Conference honors. James graduated from Rutgers-Camden in 2013 with a degree in history. In college he played on the Raptors basketball team. Two of the applicants were upset, saying “politics” were being played with the selection process. Bob Chew, (photo, right) who hand delivered his resume and cover letter to Superintendent Rafferty on May 16, said a school board member suggested he apply for the job. “Rafferty told me that day I would be called for an interview.” “I waited for that call, but, it never came. I believe politics had something to do in part with the reason I was bypassed.” As for his qualifications for the coaching job, Chew said he ran the Gloucester City mens’ basketball league held at the Mary Ethel Costello School from 1988 until 1995. “I was an assistant basketball coach at Gloucester Catholic for one year. I was a scout for the Rams basketball program. I ran the mens softball league for five years with Steve Cowgill. In 2003, I organized the Gloucester Catholic vs Gloucester High alumni softball game. Money from that game is given to a graduating senior from each school. I was a high school basketball official for five-years on the varsity level with West Chapter 5. I officiated with the Joe Kelly/Bob McQuillan (South Jersey Basketball Organization) group for over 12-years prior to that starting in 1987. “The committee in charge of interviewing applicants never gave me the courtesy of a face-to-face meeting. I never had a chance to discuss my qualifications. Leon Harris never responded when I asked him recently who saw my resume. I will bet none of them can even tell me what is on it. I am wondering if it is because of my affiliation with Gloucester Catholic.” Chew said he thought it was strange that there was an advertisement in the Courier Post on July 25 seeking applicants for the head coaching position at Gloucester High. “The ad also ran two days before the Board’s July 23 meeting, the same meeting when James was hired. Why would they do that? Was it just for appearance sake?” Chew works for the Camden County Metro Police as a homicide detective. The other applicant said, “It happens all the time in Gloucester City, gloucestercitynews.net/clearysnotebook/2013/07/school-board-appoints-new-basketball-coach-some-people-not-happy-with-the-selection-process-cnbnewsby-bill-clearyglouceste.html
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 22:24:34 +0000
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