Fired coach: I was accused of running up score

Palm Beach Post ^ | Dec. 7, 2001 | Marcus Nelson

[RippleFire]

Fired coach: I was accused of running up score

By Marcus Nelson, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, December 7, 2001

LAKE WORTH -- Wellington High School girls basketball coach Teresa Krellner said the school's principal fired her Tuesday after accusing her of running up the score against Santaluces.

The Wolverines defeated the Chiefs 67-11 on Monday and Krellner was dismissed the following morning by Wellington Principal Rod Montgomery, Krellner said Thursday night.

"He said he felt like it was an embarrassment to his school," Krellner said. "I was told I was being fired because I deliberately ran up the score in the game. He thought it was an embarrassment that at the end of the game players were laughing on the court."

Montgomery would not disclose the reason Krellner was fired.

"Issues that we have with personnel we don't discuss with the press," Montgomery said during Wellington's game at Lake Worth on Thursday night. "The bottom line is we thought the program could be taken to another level."

Krellner was 41-16 in three seasons as head coach and the Wolverines are 5-1 this season. "Obviously doing it once the season has started is not ideal, but it's a decision that was made and we're going to live with it," Montgomery said. "Hopefully everyone will rebound."

Krellner also attended Wednesday's game, where she was hugged by several players and greeted by parents angry about the firing.

Players said they were notified of the decision by Wellington Athletic Director William Dupere.

"We were all called out of class and (Dupere) said that coach 'Tree' was not going to be our coach," senior forward Mary Carter said. "He told us it had to do with the game on Monday. There were three or four girls crying and we all thought about quitting."

Parents of the players were upset with Krellner's dismissal.

"This woman has been a role model and is beyond reproach," said Barry Schnittman, the father of guard Cari Schnittman.

Krellner said she told Montgomery she took several steps to keep the score down against Santaluces, which is 0-5 this season.

"I tried to explain that we didn't run up the score and we called off our press in the first quarter," Krellner said. "I told our girls that we could not fast break. I did everything short of what I thought would be humiliating to the other team."

Krellner said the starters played sparingly in only the first and third quarters before she let them back in with 1:45 remaining. Even then, Krellner said, the players were not in their regular positions. Krellner said that was why the players were laughing.

Wellington players said they did not run up the score.

"The people that scored in that game don't get to play that much," Carter said. "We don't believe in running up the score."

Santaluces coach Bruce Wasserman does not believe Krellner ran up the score.

"I did not leave the gym that night thinking that they had run the score up on us," Wasserman said. "We're not a competitive team. I've been on both ends of games like that and there's not much you can do."

Krellner said she called Wasserman to make sure he wasn't upset about the game.

Vic Navarro, who was an assistant on the Wellington boys team, was named the coach of the girls team and the Wolverines beat Lake Worth 40-25 Thursday.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Brock Berlin to Kelvin Kight is not running up the score.

Well, not this season, at least.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is about running up the score, if done in the context of trying your best. How can bad teams improve if much better teams go all soft on them? I personally think it's more of an insult if a team ahead by a lot of points stops trying, as if to say "you're not worth our full effort any more".

I can see taking your starters out to rest them in the fourth quarter, but for my money, whichever players are on the court should play as hard as if the score were tied. If that makes the score lopsided, so be it.

I'm not saying I'd enjoy being on the losing end of a game like this, but if I were playing such a game, and I drove to the basket, and nobody bothered to stop me, I'd be insulted. Play hard. Play fair. Don't show me up, but don't treat me as not worth the effort, either.

Anyone agree with me?

[1L]

I've officiated a lot of 67-11 games (or similar scores). If this coach wanted to run up the score, this team would have broken 100 easily. 67 in a girls varsity game against a team that is not competitive is not only not high, it's very low in my estimation. This team can shoot and rebound well, and I'm sure they went into their "stall" offense soon. But when the player has an open shot they MUST take it, otherwise they will pick up bad habits that will carry with them to future, competitive games.

This "principal" should be fired and the coach reinstated. This decision is mindless and shows me that he can not effectively lead.

[Dakmar]

It's Palm Beach. Maybe they counted wrong.

LOL. Or they forgot which basket the ball was supposed to go in: "I meant to score for our team."

[is_is]

ROFLMAO !!!!!

GO HORNS !!!!!

[theshog]

"...(Wellington Principal Rod) Montgomery said. "Hopefully everyone will rebound."

Rebound? If he doesn't want them to score, why should he care if they rebound?

[1Old Pro]

Sheesh, more political correctness. This is why some schools don't allow the score to even be kept at games.

[1L]

whichever players are on the court should play as hard as if the score were tied.

There's no question that this is true. If I'm coaching, any player not playing hard is benched. I will simply slow down the offense, take as much time as possible getting the ball across the division line, pull up on fast breaks, and go into a very loose zone defense. However, the players must take the open shot, they must block out on rebounds, they must hustle after loose balls, they must agressively challenge the shot, and they must not make dumb mistakes. If that results in a blowout, sorry Charlie. That's life.

[Dakmar]

Agreed 100%. Should smarter kids be required to stop answering test questions after they've got 60% of them because that's all the dumber kids will get?

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Link to follow-up story from Sunday.

[1Old Pro]

 

Should high school teams be allowed to run up the score on their opposition?
	Yes	83%	761
	No	17%	161
Total Votes			922
Should Teresa Krellner have been dismissed from her position as Wellington’s basketball coach?
	Yes	12%	130
	No	88%	922
Total Votes			1052

[stevem]

I've done high school basketball on radio for many years and I once saw a junior varsity game prior to a broadcast of mine where one team led 97-11 with one minute to go and set up a play to get a three-point shot for their starting two-guard. It was successful and the team hit triple digits. I lost all respect for that program for doing that.

I've seen games like the one you described and have to admit there isn't much excuse for it. I've seen games that were extremely lopsided even though the two teams were really evenly matched. One team was just ice cold the whole game. If it's a home and home series for the league, sometimes they make up for it later in the season.

Coaches that don't work to make it fun for their teams i.e. making sure lesser players get a chance in games like this, especially at the high school level, really aren't very good coaches.

I always told the parents of my kids that, as a coach, it was really more fun to lose a game by 1 point (especially if it was a war of strategies) than to win a game by fifty points. I won and lost more of those one point games than I care to remember, although, they were about equally split.

Coaching can be incredibly fun if you do it right.

[stevem]

This looks like a nonsense poll because the story shows they did NOT run up the score.

[FReepaholic]

>>...It's Palm Beach. Maybe they counted wrong....<<

Yeah, maybe the losing team should sue to have a recount.

I'm sure that many of the players MEANT to score but were confused.

Maybe Jesse and the gang can come down and represent all these "disenfrancshised scorers".

[Random Access]

Her actions resulted in severe damage to the self-esteem of the other team. She refused to follow the precepts of "outcome based basketball". It is obvious that the other teams have a "hoop challenged disability" and according to the ADA should have been provided with a larger diameter basket. She also did not place the required lead-substitute ball and chain on the ankles of her players as the principal requested.

LOL. You hit it right on.

I remember back in the late 1950's my little league team got blown away something like 25 to 3. It had no lasting effect on me.

Oh, by the way... most of us here in the "State Prison Mental Ward For The Low Self Esteem" (SPMWFTLSE) are looking for pen pals. Even if you do not want to write, we would appriciate drool towels for Christmas.

[boycott]

Instead of developing a running game against teams like Vandy, Spurrier would rather score 73 points. He sure could have used a running game against Tennessee and Auburn.

UF had the best talent in the nation this season. However, they have two losses. No running game + No defence = No NC.

[sean327]

This same thing happens in Pop Warner football, even with the 30 point slaughter rule. A year ago the team I coached went into half-time up 26-0. I had my 3rd string QB in and I was rotating my O-linemen in at fullback and runing dive plays with them. We ended up winning 42-0. I felt bad for the kids on the other team, but was happy that kids on my team got to do some things they might not have other wise. You can empty your bench, but that is not going to stop the kids in at the time from playing hard. Plus just seeing the grin on my centers face after he ran for a 5 yard touchdown, shows what the game is about, its about the kids.

[sean327]

This same thing happens in Pop Warner football, even with the 30 point slaughter rule. A year ago the team I coached went into half-time up 26-0. I had my 3rd string QB in and I was rotating my O-linemen in at fullback and runing dive plays with them. We ended up winning 42-0. I felt bad for the kids on the other team, but was happy that kids on my team got to do some things they might not have other wise. You can empty your bench, but that is not going to stop the kids in at the time from playing hard. Plus just seeing the grin on my centers face after he ran for a 5 yard touchdown, shows what the game is about, its about the kids.