Future Danville football players showed their support for coach Clay Clevenger Monday
If you thought the bitterness and frustration over the firing of Danville High School football coach Clay Clevenger were going to de-escalate, think again. Monday was an eventful day in Danville and showed the huge divide between those who support Clevenger and the school administration’s desire to dig in and show it has no intention of backing down no matter how much support Clevenger has.
Clevenger supporters scheduled an assembly Monday afternoon to show their belief in the fired coach. They wore Danville gear and had various signs supporting him.
But apparently, at almost the same time the rally was being held, locks were changed on the Swain Football Facility and padlocks put on bathroom doors and other spots at Admiral Stadium. Assistant coaches — who have not been fired or at least have not been told if they are fired — are locked out of the football facilities and had no knowledge it was coming.
That all happened before the start of a virtual Danville Board of Education meeting where five former Danville football players — three living in the city, two living out of state — voiced their support for Clevenger.
Joey Kirk, a former school employee and assistant football coach, said the “assault on Danville football was not from rival schools but from inside the district” and that “vindictive wounds” had been inflicted on the program. He cited the many accomplishments Clevenger had on and off the field and said that made it “puzzling” why the district wanted to go a different direction.
“I think most taxpayers think there is less than the slimmest of chances to find a direction that will yield the same results Clevenger achieved,” Kirk said.
He also wondered why no administrator had met with players or their families to address the program’s future.
Then he posed this heart-felt, poignant question to the Board members.
“Can you do something to right the ship or do we need to wait for the autopsy of the Danville schools? Kirk said.
Stuart Critchfield called himself a “lifetime member” of the Danville football community and said firing Clevenger was “ill-informed and incompetent” and was merely one in a pattern of “ruthless terminations” by the administration.
“In short, coach Clevenger saved our football program and you fired him for it,” Critchfield said. “Danville schools never had a coach do so much and you fired him for it. You fired him to change direction from all that success.”
He said Clevenger, a former Danville player, epitomized everything Danville football has ever been.
“When you fired Clay Clevenger, you fired us, too,” Critchfield said before rattling off a long list of sponsors who have withdrawn or paused financial support because of the firing. “You ripped our hearts out. Anyone who has donated money and time is done unless Clay Clevenger is restored as our head football coach.”
Former Danville player Jeffrey Guest called recent Danville school guidance and decision making “at best has been mediocre” and that Clevenger had been a mentor and leader as well as a coach. He praised Clevenger’s willingness to reach out and help youth players.
Guest said he hoped to be the father of a future Admiral but that now depended on what decisions the Board made to solve this dilemma.
“What direction is this position headed in if you are not for anyone pushing kids to be prepared for college and lift after football,” Guest said.
Colin Rogers, a 1994 graduate, wondered why no one had told the players and their parents why Clevenger was not the right person for the job. He said it clear that Dr. Tammy McDonald, Danville’s superintendent, made a decision that was “obviously personal” because of conflict with Clevenger. He cited how she cut his weight room stipend for “financial reasons” but now has the same job position posted with a stipend.
“If you decide to let this stand, who do you replace him with? I asked a college coach about this and he said, ‘Man, if they would fire Clay, they would fire anyone.’ Good luck finding a replacement,” Rogers said.
He urged the Board not to let a “poor decision” by McDonald to keep them from righting the ship.
“I would ask you to reinstate coach Clevenger and replace the administrators,” Rogers said.
Jon Bailey said he grew up on the Danville football sideline since his father, Dr. Quinn Bailey, was the long-time Danville football physician. He also said if his father was still alive, he would be very upset with this decision.
“Clay Clevenger represents the best of what a coach should be. Wins and losses are great but what really matters is the impact he has on players and the community at large,” Bailey said. “I cannot imagine someone better suited to lead. He is everything you want in a coach.”
Since this was only a “listening session” for the school board, no comments were made to anything speakers said except for this closing comment by chairman Steve Becker.
“Obviously this is a tough situation for everybody. Being part of the solution is the ultimate way to go and we will just have to see where things land,” Becker said.
Sounds good but locking the doors to football facilities to keep everyone out tells me exactly where this is going.
