Woodbridge Comes Up With Innovative Idea

One really has to hand it to Woodbridge High School for its unique approach to keeping a successful football coach. How many good high school coaches could be rescued from leaving the profession through such a program?

Granting a sabbatical to Coach Gene Noji gives him a non-threatening opportunity to back off and re-evaluate his priorities and life’s direction. It does so without forcing him to make a concrete decision he might later regret.

Firings, forced resignations, early retirement and other forms of dismissals can be ugly. This method avoids the hassle of immediate permanent replacement. It also gives an assistant coach an opportunity to experience head coaching responsibility and would seem to favor promotion from within; all of these concepts are good.

I applaud the Irvine District for this innovative thinking.

TOM MEISS

Santa Ana High School