A high school basketball coach in Gary, Indiana was fired on Monday for throwing a chair in the direction of the referee during a game this past weekend.
Nick Moore, the former boys basketball coach of Gary Lighthouse Prep, made the announcement via Facebook, by changing his employment status, according to local sources.
“There is simply no place in education-based athletics for this type of poor behavior. This adult behavior will not be tolerated. I commend the Lighthouse CPA administration on their swift action in dealing with the situation and expect a positive change in the expectations and standards moving forward,” IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig said in a release Tuesday.
Nick Moore had a chance to speak with Times of Northwest Indiana and said “I feel like I could’ve handled things in a better manner. Just looking back on it, we talk to our kids about sportsmanship, and we don’t condone technical fouls and the type of acts that I displayed. I never want any of my players to display that kind of behavior, so I probably could’ve found a better way.”
Gary Lighthouse Prep was taking on Bowman Academy when the incident emerged from a disputed traveling call. Moore grabbed multiple chairs amongst his tantrum, but only tossed one.
Gary Lighthouse Prep Athletic Director Lawrence Sandlin was also kicked out of this game for arguing with a referee over a separate call in the third quarter of this game. Mr. Sandlin is not expected to be fired, but he is suspended from attending the next varsity basketball game and all other contests in the interim.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Moore took over at Lighthouse after his stepfather, Marvin Rea, died in a car crash in December 2017. Kenya Stines coached the rest of the 2017-18 season before Moore, who was an assistant under Rea, was hired as the head coach. Moore also played for Rea at Bowman, the school they were taking on when he threw the chair, helping lead the 2009-10 team to the Class 1A state title.
Most are too young to remember, even I was not yet born, but it was in the great state of Indiana that Coach Bobby Knight made chair throwing a thing. Check out the video to see the chair throwing.
