Athletic director recommends not rehiring her; school board to meet Tuesday

A very emotional and upset Cindi Smith expressed her frustation and confusion during a phone interview Monday morning, as the 17-year head coach of the Powell High School volleyball team discussed her uncertain future with the Lady Panthers.

At 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) at the School Administration Building at 160 N. Evarts St. in Powell, the Park County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees will consider not renewing Smith’s contract, leaving the head volleyball coaching position vacant going into the 2015-16 school year.

The decision comes as somewhat of a shock to Smith after she guided the Lady Panthers to a 35-3 record and a third-place finish at the Class 3A state tournament in November, one season after winning the 3A title. Smith’s teams also have qualified for seven of the last eight state tournaments, placing in six. PHS Athletic Director Tim Wormald was short in his response when asked about his recommendation to the board to not renew Smith’s contract. She was paid $8,007 for coaching the team last fall.

“Every year, we have to make a decision on our fall coaches, and [Smith’s] name is not going to be on that list,” Wormald said. “I’m going to recommend to the board that her contract is not renewed.”

He wouldn’t explain why he came to that conclusion.

This is the second time Smith, who teaches kindergarten at Westside Elementary School, has faced the loss of her coaching duties. In April 2005, then-Superintendent Don Cravens, acting upon what he later said was the direction of the school board, recommended dismissing Smith, football coach Jim Stringer and girls basketball coach Luke Danforth.

A packed meeting on the firings led to a reversal of decision and all three coaches were retained. Cravens departed at the end of the school year for a job in Kentucky, while Stringer went on to win four state titles before he died of a heart attack last summer, and Smith has won two state titles.

Powell boys basketball coach Mike Heny was relieved of his duties in May 2013, a few weeks after he took the Panthers to a second-place finish at the 3A state tourney. No reason for the change was ever announced.

Smith sounded deeply upset during a telephone interview as she explained her shock at Wormald’s decision.

“I didn’t like the process of how everything came about; I felt like I was blindsided,” she said. “I just felt like our season, there were so many outstanding aspects, and we had a great season.”

Smith declined to give specific details, but said she never was given an opportunity to meet with any disgruntled people before, during or after her team’s season.

“I don’t know what to say ... I just feel like there’s a lot of perspective people are looking at instead of looking at the source,” she added. “Nobody came to me this season. I haven’t talked to anybody. Everything I’m getting is not from a direct source.”

Smith may not be allowed to plead her case during the board meeting, and the board is not required to let anyone in attendance speak about the matter, either. Rob McCray, the school board chairman, said Monday that no public comment is allowed on personnel issues.

Smith said she is hoping that her record with the team and the reputation she has built both as a coach and for her program will swing the board’s decision in her favor.

“There’s a lot of frustration ... I’m just hurt. To give everything you can to the kids over the years, it just hurts,” Smith said. “I really don’t understand, honestly. I work with the kids, and I have my side of how tight we were, not just on the court, but through the other team building and team bonding things that we did. I was blessed to work with them, and I feel like we were a close-knit team.”

Smith’s daughter, sophomore Kalina Smith, has played under her mother at PHS the past two seasons while earning two-time All-Conference and All-State honors. Cindi Smith’s son Kalei Smith, a senior, has been a standout on the Panther football and basketball teams and set basketball scoring records last weekend.

Cindi Smith said that her ties to the community make this situation harder to bear, and said not having an opportunity to continue on with the kids she has built relationships with is one of the harder consequences to deal with.

“I’m from Powell and I have a lot of pride, but it’s hard to know where I stand with that,” Smith said. “It’s just hard. It’s hard to step away. The juniors and seniors who I’ve been working with since third and fourth grade ... it’s hard to step away ... it’s hard to think that I might not have the chance to continue to work with them again.”

Smith said she will not give up on coaching.

“I still have a lot to offer coaching-wise, it’s still such a big part of me,” Smith said. “Coaching is what I’ve always done ... I still love it, I still think I have a lot to offer ... so I will definitely be looking into the option of staying in the sport.”