An Indiana high school basketball coach was fired after being ejected from a game for throwing a chair in the direction of a referee and an opposing team’s player.
Gary Lighthouse Prep boys basketball coach Nick Moore announced on his Facebook page that he had been “relieved of his duties” by the school after a video emerged of the chair incident.
In a game last week against Bowman Academy, coach Moore was unhappy with a traveling call against one of his players and grabbed several chairs. He threw one before being restrained by an assistant coach.
So I just saw this video from a high school game last night in Indiana. You’ve got to be kidding me that there are still coaches doing this. Referees don’t deserve this type of disrespect. I wonder what the @IHSAA1 is doing? #Ridiculous pic.twitter.com/ohmlOlh0hi
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) January 30, 2021
Moore admitted to the Northwest Indiana Times that he overreacted.
“I’ve had a chance to reflect,” Moore said. “I feel like I could’ve handled things in a better manner. Just looking back on it, we talk to our kids about sportsmanship, and we don’t condone technical fouls and the type of acts that I displayed. I never want any of my players to display that kind of behavior, so I probably could’ve found a better way.”
The paper also reported that athletic director Lawrence Sandlin was ejected in the third quarter, also for expressing his dissatisfaction with the officiating.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association said it is looking into the situation but thus far has nothing to report on the incident.
According to an IHSAA statement, Commissioner Paul Neidig has issued penalties and placed the Lighthouse College Prep Academy boys basketball program on probation for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.
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