Stratford Spartans

[GIVM6]

Pretty simple, he's spent time in Marshall County and it's an easier job all around. You can point to competition but playing Lipscomb, Pearl, Maplewood, and CPA every year is no cake walk as well as usually having to schedule a tough out of conference game to make money and adding in a possible up and coming East Nashville (East Lit) team with the hit or miss Whites Creek is a decently tough schedule. And the day job is definitely easier...and to insinuate the two situations are the same with the coaches leaving is nowhere near the truth. One was fired one walked out...you knew the situation going in to Stratford, knew very few applied for a reason, and knew they took a shot on an OC with a very poor record for a reason, way to return the favor and take on the responsibilities I am sure he played up in the interview to get the job in the first place. Regardless of what you know of the man, the actions reflect very poorly on him and are extremely selfish.

You know what is very odd about this whole situation? When Pitts got the job(Stratford) it was not even a single thread posted congratulating him or backing him from you so call Spartan fans. Now that the guy has chosen to do the best thing for him and his family, now you so call fans want to come out of the wood works and talk bad about him. Guess what it is over with, embrace Coach Harrell and show him that you all appreciate and support him, or guess what you will be without another coach!!!

[fballfiend]

Not necessarily a Stratford fan but am a coach and these sorts of things don't look good on the profession or shed a good light on the person that makes this decision at this time of year and not even telling the principal. I am not contesting it is a better situation for him and even if you think the timing is ok there is NO way any one can in good conscience defend the way in which he went about accepting the position and "notifying" the team at Stratford. Maybe it was a lesson in professionalism he had to learn the hard way but it will stick with him for many years and I personally know many coaches that have commented in not so positive ways about this. And you are right, good luck to the Spartans.

[CulleokaCowboy]

Save the BS! He did EXACTLY what 90% of ALL coaches would have done. I've too haves talked to several coaches and not a one disagrees with that move. As most of them say, it was a no brainer.

[bigredbird]

I have not met one head coach who agrees with you. Everyone would agree that MC is the better situation but NO ONE agrees with the timing. If he had been under contract it would have been impossible. He wasn't there but just a few weeks. Like I said before, very unprofessional.

[fb247]

I have not met one head coach who agrees with you. Everyone would agree that MC is the better situation but NO ONE agrees with the timing. If he had been under contract it would have been impossible. He wasn't there but just a few weeks. Like I said before, very unprofessional.

The admin at stratford is the problem,no professionalism in helping coach do his job. I think the coach is showing professionalism in not saying much about his reasons for leaving. Always 2 sides to a story. Coach Pitts leaving is unfortunate ,but players will be fine.

[CulleokaCowboy]

Ok, let's talk about timing. The best time to leave Stratford is AT ANY TIME YOU CAN!!!!! So I hope that helps clear up any timing confusion.

[fb247]

Ok, let's talk about timing. The best time to leave Stratford is AT ANY TIME YOU CAN!!!!! So I hope that helps clear up any timing confusion.

Coach did not want to leave. Anybody,you included, would leave when the school admin did not follow up and their end,regardless of timing.

[OldStoneFort]

Coach did not want to leave. Anybody,you included, would leave when the school admin did not follow up and their end,regardless of timing.

 

I would love to hear the details someday. I know Stratford is going through a lot of changes from a Comprehensive High School (an old term used for vocational schools) to a Magnet school. I also understand they are having the building remodeled. Football is very different on the East side of Nashville. Some of the athletes may not be available until school starts. It is a very different world. Having said that, the switch to a Magnet school should improve things greatly over time. It will draw in students from various parts of Nashville and change the dynamic at SHS. Whatever the reasons the coach said he left, he will not find any more support at MCHS. They too have their issues with the administration.

[fb247]

I would love to hear the details someday. I know Stratford is going through a lot of changes from a Comprehensive High School (an old term used for vocational schools) to a Magnet school. I also understand they are having the building remodeled. Football is very different on the East side of Nashville. Some of the athletes may not be available until school starts. It is a very different world. Having said that, the switch to a Magnet school should improve things greatly over time. It will draw in students from various parts of Nashville and change the dynamic at SHS. Whatever the reasons the coach said he left, he will not find any more support at MCHS. They too have their issues with the administration.

metro schools will never improve. you have heard the details,the admin has done nothing to help this coach do what he was hired to do. it is called lip service with no intention of doing what they said they would try to do. anybody in metro knows that ,he just found that out and had a chance to leave and did.

[pking34]

In the case of Coach Pitts, his background has been coaching in small-town environments, so i was always a little uneasy about what kind of fit he'd be as the HC of a "city school" such as Stratford. In the end, he returned to his comfort zone. I wondered what was going on when i saw that for the first time in a number of years, Stratford didn't participate in the Music City 7 on 7 at Vanderbilt, where they'd stunned a lot of folks last year with 5 first-day victories.

 

LET'S TALK ABOUT COACH HERRELL. Herrell has already Coached a State Title Team at Stratford--- THE TRACK TEAM. AT A SCHOOL THAT CURRENTLY DOESN'T HAVE A TRACK. Does that success translate to football, which is a very different animal? We'll see, but Coach Herrell has already shown he knows how to successfully coach a team through an adverse situation to a successful outcome. that's an important attribute to have at Stratford.

 

Better times are ahead for the Spartans----- the latest Metro budget includes 20 MILLION DOLLARS for renovations at Stratford, and a decent chunk of that money will go to improvements in athletic facilities. There's a rainbow behind those clouds.