Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 2, 1994 TAG: 9404020140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With only one senior starting, the Knights had not only a bright finish but perhaps an even better future in store next season.
Now less than two months later, Crotts has tendered his resignation after three years as head of the Knights' program. Crotts is an apparent victim of resentment from his players that might have been brought on by parental dissatisfaction.
In the announcement, Cave Spring said Crotts had given this statement: "I'm resigning for the best interests of the basketball program and my professional career. I felt like the program needed a new direction of leadership."
Crotts refused to comment beyond the statement issued by the school.
Cave Spring athletic director Otis Dowdy shed little light on the resignation, which had been rumored for the past month.
"Another concern of his was that he wasn't here in the building as a teacher on the staff," Dowdy said of Crotts, who is a teacher at Cave Spring Junior High.
"There is not a lot of opportunity at this point for a physical education male teacher to be obtained. That wasn't something that was going to come about soon," Dowdy added in explanation of why Roanoke County would be unable to move Crotts to the senior high school. "We're in bad shape with a lack of head coaches on staff, so our direction with all coaching positions will be to try and find coaches where there are positions available in our school if at all possible."
Dowdy would not comment about whether there had been parental or player complaints, but sources who would not discuss the situation if they were identified said the school had asked parents and players for an evaluation of the program.
At least eight of 11 returning players on next year's team were upset with Crotts. A lot of it stemmed from practice, where one player said Crotts was "always too negative and critical," one source said.
Crotts, though, had been outwardly friendly toward his players during games and heaped praise on them to the media. In turn, the players seemingly overachieved. The Knights had not been expected to contend for the district title.
Another source said Crotts thought everything was OK until this week when he learned of the negative evaluations and decided to resign instead of waging a struggle for the 1994-95 season.
One parent said the program had been down the first two years under Crotts, when the Knights posted a 16-26 record.
"Last year the team didn't blend very well," said one parent, who asked not to be identified. "I confronted Rick about playing time for my son. It was a typical parent complaint. I'm no different than any other father. We talked about it, but that was last year. That was it."
This year, Cave Spring finished 10-10, losing close games to Patrick Henry and William Fleming in the final week. That cost the Knights the regular-season title.
In the tournament, Cave Spring lost in overtime to Fleming, which went on to finish second in the Group AAA state tournament. Matt Matheny, the team's leading scorer, missed a shot at the end of regulation that, had it fallen, would have sent the Knights to the Northwestern Region tournament and ended the Colonels' season.
Cave Spring was the only team to beat Group AA state champion Salem.
Parents have had a long-standing reputation for being tough on coaches at Cave Spring. Former football coach Charlie Hammes was the subject of numerous petitions to have him removed from the job, but the Roanoke County board always backed him.
His successor, Jerry Little, was often criticized by parents. Some looked for better conditions by transferring their sons to Salem.
Rumors started during the state tournaments two weeks ago that Matheny, a junior, would switch to Salem if Crotts returned.
"Absolutely not," said the player's father, Jim Matheny. "I don't know how that got started. I've never met with anyone over there."
Chris Carr, the junior varsity coach, is one possibility as Cave Spring's next coach. However, he, like Crotts, doesn't teach at Cave Spring High School and would have to come over from another school for practice.
by CNB