Ruechel loses coaching job

OCONTO - An Oconto High School boys basketball coach no longer holds that title.

Mike Ruechel was placed on paid suspension last Monday because the Oconto Unified School District said he displayed poor sportsmanship during a game against Sturgeon Bay on January 22nd.

Monday night the Oconto School Board held a special meeting to determine if Ruechel should keep his coaching job.

Ruechel is also a teacher in the district, actions taken by the school board concerning his coaching job do not impact his teaching job. Therefore, Ruechel remains a teacher, but the school board decided his role as a coach is over.

During the special meeting, the debate that lasted more than two hours.

"We feel it is the best interest of the oconto basketball program and the athletes involved for Coach Ruechel to step down or be dismissed," Todd Ellman, who's son is on the basketball team, told the school board.

"I believe I have done a reasonable job and truly enjoyed my experience up until the harassment and retaliation by administration, which started over the last few years," Ruechel said during the meeting.

Ruechel tried to prove he's a good coach who should keep his coaching job. One of the issues at the special school board meeting in Oconto: whether or not Ruechel celebrated with one his players after the player was ejected from the January 22nd game against Sturgeon Bay.

Sturgeon Bay's superintendent told the Oconto school board that during that game, Ruechel had displayed the worst sportsmanship he had ever seen. Others who were at the game told the board they did not see Reuchel congratulate an ejected player, but did see others celebrate with that player.

After meeting for about an hour, all but one member of the Oconto School Board voted to have Mike Ruechel removed from his coaching duties.

Though Ruechel says the decision was more about personal issues.

"That was expected," Ruechel said of the board's decision. "In my opinion it was pre-determined. It's a true act of retaliation right from the beginning. Personally I think it was just a waste of three hours."

The school district's superintendent says the decision had to do with Ruechel's behavior at games, which failed to meet the reasonable expectation of good sportsmanship.

"We were looking at coaching," said superintendent Sara Croney. "We have a background of information regarding coaching. There are evaluations regarding coaching. That's what we were looking at. That's what the board was looking at."

Now the school board considers its next move in replacing Ruechel, and Ruechel considers his next move, as a staff member of the Oconto Unified School District.

Ruechel says he will continue his teaching job in Oconto, but will look at options in other districts. Ruechel, who has a 15-year coaching history, also says he does not plan to file a grievance.