Not long ago, the position of Triton hockey coach would’ve been on a short list of the most sought-after high school positions in the area.
The program established a proud tradition under Dan O’Connell for 24 years between 1974 and 1998 when the Vikings claimed 10 Cape Ann League titles.
But with less than three weeks to go before the start of the 2007-08 season, the position is vacant and has been since July 1.
On that date, incumbent coach Drew Wile claims he was fired after an 11-5-5 season | his first with the team. By the former coach’s account, his dismissal was the result of differing philosphies between him and the Triton administration.
“The philosophical views were very different,” Wile said. “My philosophy is that in order to be successful, you have to build a complete program. From the top down, you have to be willing to be disciplined and fair.”
Wile felt the Triton administration failed to live up to those expectations in its response to a dispute he had with a player last season. The player quit the team late in the year due to a lack of playing time. When Wile did not invite the player to the end-of-the-year banquet or present him with a varsity letter, the player’s parents intervened.
Wile said the issue was presented to Triton Superintendent Sandra Halloran, who ordered him to apologize to the player.
“I forced them to fire me,” Wile said. “I told them I’m not apologizing. My knowledge of the game far outweighs the people responsible for making this decision. There is always a player disappointed with their role | all the way from youth hockey to the pros. But I can’t reward a player for quitting.”
The next Triton hockey coach will be the school’s fourth in four years. Jay Gallant ended his three-year stint with the team in 2005 due to a conflicting work schedule. Russ Moser led the team to an 18-1-2 record in 2005-06 before leaving the program for similar reasons.
“We’ve had good luck with coaches,” said current Vikings co-captain Chris LeSage, a senior. “We just haven’t had any luck in getting them to stick around. Chris was one of the better coaches we’ve had.”
The day of Wile’s firing coincided with current Triton athletic director David Dempsey’s start date. Dempsey said yesterday Wile will be replaced in the next two weeks.
“I’m in no position to comment on the reasons for the change,” Dempsey said. “(Wile) made the choice not to return to the position. How and why it happened, there’s no point in going into it. We’re in a position to hire a new coach and move on.”
Wile, an alumnus of Ipswich High and Salem State College, will return to his coaching position at Catholic Memorial where he served as an assistant for seven seasons prior to his move to Triton. During that stint, CM won six Super 8 titles.
“I’m going back to the exact program I brought to Triton,” Wile said. “The discipline, the structure | that’s what the No. 1 team in the country has. That’s what I wanted to build at Triton for a long time to come.”
Few expected Wile to fare as well as he did in his first year as Triton’s coach. The previous year’s team, which went undefeated (18-0-2) during the regular season, lost many of its top players to graduation. Wile also added a stronger nonleague schedule to help prepare his team for the state tournament.
“I’ve never seen the kids at Triton play as hard as they played for him,” said Newburyport coach Paul Yameen. “It’s a huge loss. There’s way too much parent involvement in high school sports today. And in this situation, Drew didn’t get any backing from the administration. It’s wrong that he loses his job for this.”
Dempsey would not reveal potential candidates for the coaching vacancy. The winter sports season will start Nov. 26.
“We usually have our first meeting with the coach by now,” said Vikings co-captain Bryce Linehan, a senior. “We don’t know who it’s going to be or what to expect.”
Wile believes his former players deserve better.
“It’s the kids who get hurt in the end,” Wile said. “There are seniors on that team who have been through four coaches in four years. They deserve better of a public education. But they played their hearts out for me, and I’ll never forget it.”
