National Fastpitch Coaches Association STARKVILLE, Miss. – Head coach Beth Keylon-Randolph and assistants Jamie Qualls and Steve Jaecks of national champion Chattanooga State have been named as 2012 NFCA NJCAA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year. The Tigers spent the majority of the season at the top of the NJCAA Division I poll, before roaring into the postseason and capturing the Region 7 championship. Chattanooga (62-4) suffered a slight hiccup in the latter rounds of the national tournament, but battled back and won three games on the final day to capture the school’s first national championship in any sport. Helping lead the Tigers to a national crown this season were three first team NFCA All-Americans: pitcher Ashley Czechner, infielder, Lacye Walker and outfielder Shelby Johnson. Czechner posted the second lowest ERA in the nation at 0.66 and the most strikeouts with 370. Walker hit .450 with 69 RBIs and the most doubles in the nation at 29, while Johnson was second in the country in stolen bases with 83 and also had 36 RBIs. Earlier this month, Chattanooga earned regional coaching staff of the year honors for the South and was joined by Salt Lake and Blinn, which won in the West and Midwest, respectively.
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Archive for June 15th, 2012UPDATED June 16th 1:00pm…
Statement from Tom Turchetta…
“I was called into the superintendent’s office and told my contract would not be renewed.” “I asked why and was told to read the letter (of dismissal). The letter was very ambiguous and very noncommittal, and I never got a definitive answer from the superintendent.”
(Head Coach Tom Turchetta, assistants Lance Evans (also MCHS assistant principal) & Alex Melton affected.)
TSNSports has learned that three Marshall County Tigers football coaches, including the head coach have been dismissed by the county’s school director.
Reports to TSN say it boles down to salary increases allegedly promised for assistant coaches by Roy Dukes (director at the time) worked out with the head coach Tom Turchetta.
According to reports when coach Turchetta arrived at MCHS two years ago he was given additional money for his assistant coaches by Dukes without the approval from the school system.
The reports to TSN indicated Dukes apparently allowed the increases without consulting with the school system and when the figures were later questioned, school director Jackie Abernathy released the coaches.
The action was at NO fault of the coach.
We have also learned that coach Turchetta reportedly will fight the director’s decision.
This has hit the team hard. One report is it is like a death in the family.
Marshall County Tiger players have called a meeting today to discuss the matter and to rally around their coaches.
Around 1/2 of the Tigers football team took their concerns to the Marshall County Board of Education Friday morning. Members told WAXO radio’s Bob Smartt that they were told, by the director of schools, to contact the systems legal team. When they made the call the representative gave “no comment”.
WAXO radio also made an attempt to obtain a press release and were told there will NOT be one forthcoming.
This couldn’t have come at the worse time with football season just a few months away.
