NEW MADRID, Mo. — Longtime New Madrid County Central boys basketball coach Travis Day was relieved of his basketball coaching duties last week, leaving some in the community upset, questioning the school board.
Day, a NMCC graduate, served as head coach of the Eagles for 12 years, compiling a 148-161 record that included a third place finish in Class 3 in 2015 and a Class 3 quarterfinal appearance in 2008. The New Madrid County R-1 School Board relieved him of his basketball coaching duties on Feb. 27, a day after a 78-52 season-ending loss to Charleston in the Class 3, District 1 Tournament.
According to executive board minutes that were being circulated at the meeting,
the Board voted 6-1 to dismiss Day as coach, with only Kay Rebstock voting against.
On Thursday, Jasmikia Davis presented a petition and addressed the board on behalf of a group of residents, some of whom were in attendance, that were unhappy with Day no longer being the NMCC basketball coach.
“How was this decision with Coach Day in the best interest of our school,” Davis asked the Board. “What did you determine that made it in the best interest of our school?”
Board president Ryan Eddy said he couldn’t get into the reasonings behind the decision because it was a personnel issue and by law they aren’t allowed to release that information.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you any kind of reasoning as to what took place during that executive session meeting,” Eddy said.
Davis addressed R-1 Superintendent Sam Duncan, saying she spoke with him. “You told me you did this on strengths and weaknesses as far as this Coach Day issue but you couldn’t get into it with me,” she said. “If Coach Day was so weak in one area why didn’t you just talk to him about it? Because you assured me it wasn’t on a win or loss situation.”
“I know you aren’t going to be satisfied with the answers that I’m giving you because you think we’re skating around it and I get that,” said Eddy. “If I was in your shoes I’d feel the same way.”
“I definitely am telling you all I believe you are skating around it,” Davis replied. “I don’t think it, you are skating around it.”
Davis also asked if it is biased for board members to vote on a coach’s job status if they have kids on the team. R-1 board members Dee Moore and John Palmer both have sons on the boys basketball team.
“We have to go by policy and law and it’s not restricted by either one of those,” Eddy said.
Davis asked the Board if they are responsible for hiring and firing all coaches.
“The final decision does rest with the school board so in a sense I guess you could say yes,” Eddy said. “We do listen to the administration and the administration weighs in and gives their thoughts and recommendations, one way or the other. But the final decision does rest with the school board.”
Eddy asked Davis if she had spoken to Day about the situation, because he is the only one at liberty to discuss why he was relieved of his basketball coaching duties.
“Coach Day is a humble man and he’d just tell me to be quiet and let it go,” Davis said.
Davis also gave the board two sets of papers to read. One one set were two pages from JaTori Maxwell about how Day is more than a coach.
“It’s rare to have a hometown coach,” Maxwell wrote. “Hometown coaches are the ones who can be connected to their project like no other and the boys have realized that. Even after Coach Day heard the terrible news he still chose to use his time to meet with the boys who’ve played for him. Taking away something so precious, interfering with relationships so beautiful will most definitely be a mistake.”
The second set of papers were comments from many of Day’s current and former players.
“I wouldn’t want to be coached by any other coach because he is a role model to me,” wrote sophomore Bryshawn Williams. “The love he has for us can’t be given to us by anyone else, no matter if we win more games or not. And that is the most important thing a coach should have, love.”
“I would have wanted to continue to be coached by Coach Day not only because he’s helped me improve so much, it’s really because he can bring something out of me that no one really has,” added junior Gabe York.
Javarcus Word, a 2017 graduate, also echoed his fondness for Day. “He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Word wrote. “… he helped make me into the person I am today and helped me out in every way possible to get me to the next level. He cares about each player as an individual, not just a player.”
In the end Davis and others in attendance were not happy with the answers they received during the meeting, but vowed not to quit.
“We’ll be back next month,” Davis said. “I want to assure you all we aren’t going away.”