osted by Justin Springer on 5/17/2019, 12:16 pm, in reply to "Re: NIC"
The following letter was recently sent to a candidate who was offered the job for Head Wrestling Coach at North Idaho College. His name has been omitted and replaced with "candidate" to protect his privacy.
This demonstrates Al Williams’ desire to destroy North Idaho College’s most successful and storied athletic program. We as a community should demand Mr. Williams resignation. How can an athletic director make such statements with the backing of Graydon Stanley V.P. Of Student Services?
Candidate -
Thank you for sharing your comments, concerns, and conditions related to our offer for the North Idaho College Wrestling Head Coach position. Based upon your feedback, we have a significant difference in the perception and desired direction of our wrestling program, which is disappointing at this phase of our selection process.
As frequently mentioned in the interview process, winning wrestling national championships is not the priority of our athletics department or the college. Our goal is to provide leadership for the wrestling program that prioritizes student success and embraces the culture of a cohesive athletic department.
The salary terms that you are requesting would place the Wrestling Head Coach at the top of the salary scale in the department, above several long term experienced head coaches. We believe the salary recommended by our Human Resources department was fair based upon your experience and our comparable college salary range for coaches. Additionally, questions related to the retention of the current assistant coach and special conditions requested for wrestling camps also raised concerns. I thought that I was clear in our conversation prior to the finalist interviews that we had a competent assistant coach on staff that we planned to retain, unless he decided not to remain with the program. We eliminated the second wrestling coach position to balance inequities in staffing positions within the department. Thus, we are not interested in providing or fundraising for a second assistant coach.
As mentioned in our conversation related to wrestling camps, we have plans to review the operating procedures for all internal department team camps, with the intention of managing camp proceeds through the college business office. Accordingly, the college and the athletics department are not in a position to commit to guaranteed summer camp periods or guaranteed percentage of shared revenue with any coaches or programs at this time.
Candidate , we respect and appreciate your honesty and candor in expectations for the NIC Wrestling program. Presently, we are not in a position to agree to any of your desired negotiation requests and respectfully rescind our offer. We appreciate your time and interest and wish you the best of luck.
Sincerely, Al Williams Athletics Director North Idaho College 1000 W. Garden Avenue Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 665-5458 Office (208) 640-0390 Cell Cc Graydon Stanley
I urge everyone that is concerned about NIC wrestling to e - mail the board of trustees.
Seems like a pretty cut and dry letter about the candidate requesting a too high of salary for his first year. I understand that we want the best for NIC Wrestling, but to hire someone at a pay scale over other coaches of NIC who have more experience does not make any sense either. Maybe the candidate can change his offer to include a pay raise after so and so happens and he or she gets more experience.
The coach was offered $51.000 and some change. How about the AD offering something in the middle. You seem to be ignoring the fact that the AD is trying to kill the sport. It's almost June with no coach of staff.
@Turk I was not ignoring that. There is still plenty of time to get a coach and new philosophy installed. He said that the school would not do any fundraising, how about you turn your hunt for blood into a rally call of your own and start up a fundraiser of your own to help meet the coach in the middle. I'm sure there is a network of boosters in the area or even nationally that you could get funding to your cause.
This smells to much like Boise State. 6 months to hire a coach is to long. ”we are not interested in winning“???? Time to send some emails to the board, they are elected officials they need to know we care.
Coach Newell, sorry you might understand Football more, but wrestling is different and after the debacle at Boise State and the fall of wrestling since Title Nine, the wrestling fans and coaches are a little more skeptical and how the coach was fired at North Idaho, we are very concerned and watching intently. By the way I was not a fan of the North Idaho Coach but I see the danger that we are in.
I may not know, however, around all these Iowa All American and Olympic wrestlers down here, I wear my NIC wrestling shirt with pride. I attended the NIC wrestling camps when I was little and growing up in Coeur d'Alene and have great pride in the fact that they are such a good program. I may not be invested like alumni or people who have kids in the program, but I am very thoughtful of their future. With that said, I still believe the letter was well written and highlighted the key points of their differences with the candidate. I challenge you to find one administration of any school who would not say academics is greater than winning in a sport, because saying the opposite and what you wish they would say is a career ender in their position.
Just because you don't like something doesn't mean that someone is out to sabotage a program. That letter was very professional and they must have someone else in mind because they were quick to rescind the offer.
It’s no secret he is not a fan of the wrestling program and never has been.
Well written letter or not..........the fact is that the AD is dragging in feet on purpose, It is now close to June and still no coach. The bottom line is that they are trying to move wrestling into the NWAC or drop it all together. Read between the lines people. Remember what put NIC on the national map......WRESTLING!
You don't know that it's intentional. I don't know. Maybe you do. But based on what you've posted, it just seems like you have an axe to grind. And maybe you're justified. How did you obtain that letter? The candidate must have given it to you, right? What did they make of it?
Man, you just don't get it........You either want to argue for the sake of it, or you really believe Al Williams is doing a great job. No sense in even debating this with you. Sit back and do nothing, and Idaho will have zero wrestling programs. the letter was posted by Justin Springer a Former NIC wrestler on the Washington wrestling report message boards. The candidate was very frustrated by the lack of commitment. by the way.......no ax to grind. Trying to make sure this program is not buried.
Then do something about it. Stop attacking others for doing their job and take action. By throwing dirt at someone and trashing their name is not a solution.
only stating the Facts sir. You say you grew up in CDA, call someone involved in wrestling in that community and get their take on the situation.
"This demonstrates Al Williams’ desire to destroy North Idaho College’s most successful and storied athletic program. We as a community should demand Mr. Williams resignation. How can an athletic director make such statements with the backing of Graydon Stanley V.P. Of Student Services?" - Turk
How is this simply stating a fact? Your accusing someone of destroying an athletic program and are demanding his resignation.....
@Coach Newell here is what I suggest you do........get in touch with former coach John Owen and get his take. Get in touch with Doug or Jim Parker the biggest booster in NIC wrestling history and get their take on the situation. Get in touch with former coach Pat Whitcomb and get his take on the situation. Along with many more people close to the program. FYI we have been doing something about it. E - mails and conversations with the board of trustees, e - mails to AD. Check out the Washington wrestling boards and see I am not alone on this issue. As for now we can agree to disagree.
@Coach Newell it's obvious Al William's is sabotaging the program. If this is unintentional hes a complete moron. It appears that just hired some guy from across the county with no local connections. Boise State did the same thing when they turned down guys like Adam Hall and Ben cherington when they applied for the BSU position. Dont be suprised If this program is gone within a year.
I'm just curious as to the why. Why is it that colleges are trying to drop the sport? I will be honest that I dont know a lot about this situation. I believe the spor is growing. Female wrestling is picking up school after school but why are they attempting to get rid of current programs?