Archive for Friday, January 28, 2011
Longtime football coach says contract was nonrenewed
The 2006 Bonner Springs High School football squad rallied around coach Lew Kasselman in an embattled season where his job was on the line. Kasselman and the Braves bounced back with an 8-2 season and state playoff appearance in 2007. On Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, the USD 204 School Board accepted Kasselman's letter of resignation after 15 years at the helm.
January 28, 2011
Lew Kasselman was considering retiring as the Bonner Springs High School football coach.
Perhaps this year; maybe next.
Coach Lew Kasselman
“There were some things I was looking at. There were some things I was considering, but I wanted to do it on my own time and do it when I was ready to do it,” Kasselman said in a phone interview Friday.
He hadn’t made up his mind, though, when at 3 p.m. Friday before Christmas break began he says he was called in by BSHS principal Joe Hornback and activities director John Hilton and told his contract as head football coach would not be renewed.
“So then I had an option to either resign or I could fight it and go through the school board,” Kasselman recalled. “I decided I didn’t want to do all that, so that’s why after break I came in and turned my resignation in.”
His letter of resignation was accepted by the USD 204 Board of Education on Jan. 18. With that, Kasselman’s 20-year run with the Braves — the last 15 as head coach — ended.
So yes, Kasselman had been thinking about stepping down, but his feelings about how it happened stood in contrast to Hornback’s statement on Jan. 26.
“Coach has been here a long time and done a lot for our community, and we’re happy he made a decision he felt good about,” Hornback said.
Hornback is heading up the search committee to hire Kasselman’s replacement. Normally that duty would fall to Hilton, but he removed himself from the process because he is applying for the job.
Kasselman said he wasn’t interested in going to the school board to fight to remain coach, but he was disappointed with the way it was handled.
“The biggest thing is I felt like I was disrespected a bit because after all the time you put in, to be told you’re nonrenewed … but hey, that’s their right. That’s their option,” he said. “It’s just when you figure who’s evaluating you, and then they turn around and apply for the job, you can see the writing on the wall.”
The Braves posted a 65-81 record during Kasselman’s 15 seasons at the helm and made five appearances in the state playoffs. BSHS had lost 21 straight games prior to him becoming head coach. The Braves went 7-2 during his first season. The 2002 squad reached the state quarterfinals and the 2007 squad went 8-2.
For more on this story, read previous coverage here and pick up the Feb. 3 edition of The Chieftain.
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Point of View
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Comments
brendonk (anonymous) says…
http://fire-hilton.tripod.com/
this is a good read and a little history about John Hilton from a previous coaching experience a few years back. For those of you that remember, this sounds like a another inside job from the board leader like C. Ahern was 15 years ago....
MVArvada (anonymous) says…
@ triedntru and brendonk
You are most certainly ill informed on who John Hilton is. Please refrain from using such childish words as "slimeball" to describe my coach. mentor, and friend; that is showing disrespect to someone whom you don't even know. The website above about firing Hilton is the most inaccurate and ludicrous thing I have ever read. John Hilton was my coach for 3 years and I have the utmost respect for him. I have played football for 15 years and am currently playing at the collegiate level, all thanks to John Hilton. If not for Hilton, I never would have even thought of being a collegiate athlete because I am undersized and came from a struggling school, but Hilton helped me with recruiting and pushed me to follow my passion for the game of football. Hilton treated each and every player with respect and instilled hard work, loyalty, love for the game, priority on academics, integrity and success into all of his players. A player could not ask for a better coach than Hilton. Hilton is a great man and a great coach, I will defend his honor at all costs as that.
frogmnu (anonymous) says…
It is really sad when things like this go down on message boards. Coach K was a good man but his time was done. It happens to us all. Some know when to go away and some don't. There is no loyalty in this profession anymore period. Coach K should have considered himself lucky to have been at one place as long as he was. He had a losing record. A record getting worse year by year.
As far as John Hilton is concerned, there is no one better to lead that program than him. John had the job as AD to evaluate all his athletic programs and make evaluations on ALL his coaches. However lets not let the Principal off the hook either. He also wrote evaluations on the coaches. They felt it was necessary to move in another direction. So be it. This was not all John Hilton's doing.
I Have known John for over 15 years, and I have also been blessed to have coached Major Division One football and I tell you right now, that if I could hire John Hilton to coach football on my staff I would.
The little website that was listed above and was created by some pathetic little parent who's son never played is a joke. Then you have another small town, "I think I am bigger than anyone else in this town" woman who has nothing better to do than search the internet and try to smear coach Hilton's name is sad... Bonner you can do better than this! This is just a very shallow parent who probably thinks her little son and her children are the best athlete's in the state of Kansas. I am sure she is the first to bitch whenever their is something in the field house or classroom that is not going right for her angel.. Very sad and actually makes Bonner powers that be look silly.
Why not go an learn about how pathetic that program really was in Colorado and how no one would take the head job and how John was begged to apply and help those kids. How about calling some of those kids that got into college as first generation college student because of John. Was his record great? No but John went into a no win situation and did some great things with and for those kids.
Bonner look you have not been a major player in high school football for a long time and I doubt with the budget cuts facing your state that you will draw a better coach with the experience John had. John applied because he thought it was what was best for the kids. He really does care about getting passion and excitement back in the athletic programs at Bonner. Passion that was lost. Coach K grew tired. The days of drawing a pay check are over in this profession. I am glad coach Hilton is not going to apply for this job now. It would have been a program without any institutional support and community togetherness. It is a shame his administration allows people like these run the school.
DennisStepanichIII (anonymous) says…
Being a previous player for John Hilton, I would have to disagree with the first to comments above, you obviously don’t know the real John Hilton. I played 3 years under him in a program where many others would and could not endure and he turned those years into the most memorable and enjoyable times that I have had playing football. He is the only reason that I got any offers/ looks from the collegiate level and without his help in not only developing me into the best athlete I could be but also the best person I could be, I would not be where I am today. He treated every player with the utmost respect and wanted nothing but the best for each not only on the playing field but in academics and in life. People bad mouthing him who really don’t know the great person/coach he is disgusting, and should find real facts before commenting. I will defend my friend and coach at all costs.
triedntru (anonymous) says…
You are right. I don't know anybody involved in this article.
But, let me see if I have my facts straight:
1. Hilton is the AD and one of his tasks involves evaluating each coach's performance.
2. Current coach is forced out, and Hilton applies for the job.
This is a HUGE conflict of interest.
It doesn't matter what a terrific guy Hilton supposedly is or what a terrific guy the current coach supposedly is. There is a conflict of interest and it looks bad.
mrfootball (anonymous) says…
All I can say is wow!!! How does the Bonner Springs school dist force a coach out after 15 plus years of coaching and teaching. I had heard rumors from several of the people listed in th article, one being L Molman, that Coach K was planning on retiring at the end of this year and now the school gave a big F.U. WOW!!! To me it all sounds like they are all working together to put a supposed coach in the place of Mr. K. If it wasn't for Mr. K I would have done poorly in school and not be the person that I am today. He was like a father to me and his style of coaching and teaching has helped me to be where I am today. I know Bonner has not had the best records for years but there is more to that than high school football. It is about how Coach K shaped all his players to tbe the best young men that they could be. The lessons learned on the field have all helped to shape hundreds of players through out their life. There has been a person listed in this article who is helping to look for a new coach, that has repeatedly talked about how Coach K is not a good coach and how the admin staff at BSHS is not very good either. WOW to me this all stinks of some sort of filth that should not be brought upon the players and students of BSHS. They are forcing a coach to resign from a position so that one person may help them selves to a position that will hender the players of the years to come. Yes it is funny how the person who now wants the job has been evaluating the former coach. Coach K will never be replaced and he should be remembered by all those that had the opportunity to play and learn from him, in my book he is and will always be the best thing that has ever happened to Bonner Springs Football! coach k. i just want to say thank you for everything that you have done for me and the hundreds of other players and students in all the seasons you have been a football coach with Bonner Springs High School!!! You will always be remembered and I feel the the field should be renamed in honner of you and not the former player David Jaynes that embarrassed himself by doing what he did to ruin his NFL career. Coach K we all love you and I am sure all students that have played for you will feel like they were kicked in the teeth by playing football for somebody that helped to kick you out of the position and wants to slide in to the coaching position. I would hope that all the coaches would not want to coach for such a person and the school has to replace the coaching staff with coaches that dont know what their doing. I hope the school staff know what their doing, dont they remember when the entire town stood behind you several years ago and supported you wearing the shirts that read: we support kasselman, do you! we still support Coach K, and will always remember all the great things you did for us as players and men. thank you coach k.
Kicker (anonymous) says…
Seems to me that these postings have gone away from the basic point of lies being told. And we are to believe that some of Mr. Hilton's players from Colorado are following his career in Kansas? If the school administration accepts those as "unsolicited testimonials", this is unworthy of them. I would hope the selection committee would look into ANY applicant's past record--the complete record--and performance as a coach.
bonnerboy (anonymous) says…
Well Kicker, the "unsolicited testimonials" from Mr. Hilton's players are no worse than than first post in this thread from Lew Kasselman's SON, Brendon.
This whole situation, including Mr. (I'm Entitled, Damn It!) Kasselman running to the media in the first place, stinks.