Fields Out As Coach

Kyle Fields
Kyle Fields

In a surprise move at its March 14 meeting, the McDonald County Board of Education voted 6-0-1 not to rehire Kyle Fields as head boys' basketball coach at McDonald County High School.

According to unapproved minutes of the meeting, Beth Buckingham made a motion to employ Fields as coach for the 2019-20 year, but she voted against her own motion, as did Josh Banta, who seconded the motion. Also voting against Fields were Dr. Scott Goldstein, Frank Woods, Jeff Cooper and Andy McClain. Abstaining from casting a vote was Chris Smith.

Fields said he did not know about his dismissal until mid-morning the following day when Athletic Director Bo Bergen contacted him at home (school was not in session due to of a four-day weekend). Fields said he would have a statement regarding his firing at a later date.

Neither Fields nor Bergen were aware that a vote on Fields' tenure as basketball coach would be singled out for action at the March meeting instead of being included in the regular scheduled review and hiring of coaches at the board's April meeting.

Prior to the April meeting, voters will choose between incumbents Chris Smith and Frank Woods and challenger Nick Martin for two spots on the board. Martin served as athletic director for three years prior to taking a position in private business after the 2017-18 school year.

Fields, a 2004 graduate of McDonald County, had a 21-60 record in his three years as head coach. He served as an assistant at MCHS prior to taking the head coaching job at East Newton, where he won a district championship in 2016 with a career record of 62-48 before returning to MCHS.

Fields remains the head boys' and girls' golf coach pending the April board meeting.

Sports on 03/21/2019