Coaches a hot topic at EL board meeting
By PAUL EDGAR, pedgar@reviewonline.com
POSTED: May 16, 2008
EAST LIVERPOOL — Some of the East Liverpool coaching questions have been answered, while some remain in limbo.
Three coaching vacancies were filled at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, but wrestling was not among them.
The wrestling position, which appeared on an early agenda, was removed on an updated version. Todd Smith, who has coached the wrestling team the past two seasons, took part in an executive session which lasted more than 90 minutes and would not comment on the nature of the meeting, however he did say he was under the impression that the wrestling vacancy was still on the agenda.
“I thought it was still on,” Smith said. “It was on the agenda as of 4:30 p.m. (Wednesday).”
East Liverpool Superintendent Ken Halbert said the board wasn’t ready yet to make a decision on the matter.
“It was asked for me to remove it at this time for the board to consider and have a lot of time to make a sound decision based on all possible information,” he said.
Several former East Liverpool wrestlers and students were in attendance at the board meeting and also met in a separate executive session after the board meeting concluded.
While no decision was made in that matter, the boys and girls varsity basketball positions were filled, as well as girls soccer.
Tony Tomaselli was approved as the girls basketball coach by a 4-1 vote.
Scott Dieringer, chairman of the East Liverpool Athletic Committee, was the only board member to vote no.
“My job is to vote on the most qualified individual,” he said of one of the committee’s first recommendations. “No offense to Mr. Tomaselli.”
Dieringer would not indicate who he perceived was the most appropriate choice, but he did say, “We’re a committee. We vote as the committee votes. I have no animosity for Mr. Tomaselli as I wish him well.”
Tomaselli said he is excited the board has given him this opportunity.
“I’m a basketball junkie,” Tomaselli said. “It doesn’t matter what level, I just love the game. This is my opportunity to get in the high school game and see how it goes. Sports has kind of been down in our area and this is a chance to get us back on top and to get people talking.”
Tomaselli, who coached the East Liverpool girls freshmen team in 2005 and has been an AAU coach for the past six years, believes he has plenty of talent to field a winning team.
“We’ll probably be a little different style team,” he said. “We’ll try to pick up the pace some. If that doesn’t work, we’ll adjust. We’ve got a young team and the hardest part will be finding our identity.”
Tomaselli’s daughter, Brittany, a senior, will be East Liverpool’s top returning scorer after averaging 11.4 points per game and connecting on a team-high 45 three pointers.
Tomaselli replaces J.R. Walker who coached the Lady Potters for the past eight seasons, compiling a 75-91 record.
“I told (the athletic committee) that if it came down to me and J.R., to give it to J.R.,” Tomaselli said. “I told them if they were going to hire me, it has to be because your going in a different direction.”
On the boys side, Matt Cashdollar was retained for the 2008-09 school year as the boys varsity basketball coach.
The Potters struggled to a 5-16 record in Cashdollar’s first year with the Potters.
Michael McDougle was given a supplemental contract to be the girls varsity soccer coach, replacing Bill McComas.
