Montezuma-Cortez High School Director of Activities Stacey Hall said on Thursday that Gayle Earley will be taking over as head coach of the girls swim team.
Hall said former head coach Ian MacLaren resigned on Wednesday, and that the team would begin practice Monday.
MacLaren said the school informed him on Wednesday that he would not be retained as coach this season. He declined to comment further.
MacLaren was the head coach for the M-CHS girls swim team from 2012 to 2015. During his tenure, the team broke six school records and qualified six swimmers for the state Class 4A championships. He also was the sports editor at The Journal from June 2013 to May 2015. In college, MacLaren swam on the College of the Holy Cross men’s swim team in 2005 through 2009.
An M-CHS email Thursday attributed to Hall announced there would be no swimming practice on Thursday, Nov. 12.
“There will be a mandatory parent/student meeting in the commons area at M-CHS on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, at 4:45 p.m. We welcome all new and old swimmers to this meeting,” the email said.
MacLaren is the fourth M-CHS coach to be replaced this season.
First-year head football coach David Wagner, head volleyball coach Andi Pickens and assistant volleyball coach Valerie Bauer were fired earlier this semester.
Wager was fired from his football coaching position Aug. 31.
Hall declined to discuss the reasons for Wagner’s firing, but the assistants said the staff controversy stemmed from Wagner’s insistence to run a spread offense and his refusal to punt on fourth downs.
Wagner said that he had told administrators and assistants that he didn’t punt since his initial interview, and that he decided to go back to the spread offense after watching film of opponents against the double-wing.
Second-year head volleyball coach Pickens said on Sept. 24 that she and assistant Bauer were fired the previous evening.
According to Pickens, M-CHS athletic director Stacey Hall informed her and Bauer of their dismissal in an email.
“Yesterday evening, we got an email that said they’re making changes to the volleyball program, and we are no longer the coaches,” Pickens said.
Pickens led the Panthers to a 13-11 record in her first year during the 2014 season, the most wins the volleyball team had compiled since 2010.
“From this point on, we’re moving on. We’re going to just go with what’s going on and move on,” Hall said.
