Supporters of former Waynesburg baseball coach search for answers
Waynesburg’s coach Kevin Pincavitch yells at the players to keep running the bases during a game last season.
Kevin Pincavitch.
WAYNESBURG – There were no empty seats at the Central Greene School Board meeting Tuesday night as people lined the back wall in support of former Waynesburg High School baseball coach Kevin Pincavitch.
At last month’s meeting, after hearing from multiple supporters and from Pincavitch himself pleading to retain his job, the school board voted to open Pincavitch’s position of varsity head baseball coach.
This meeting, people came to find out why and showed their unwavering support to see what the plan is for the now open position.
Dan Davis of Waynesburg was first to speak on behalf of Pincavitch and said his main concern was why the coach was let go in the first place. He said rumors and reasons he heard did not seem to validate the action of letting go whom he said was the most qualified man for the position.
“I don’t think changing coaches like you change your shoes every few years is good for the boys, good for the team or good for anybody,” Davis said.
Because the issue is a personnel matter, district Superintendent Brian Uplinger explained he is not able to discuss the situation.
“If I could, I would,” Uplinger said.
He did state the position is a seasonal job which means every year it can be opened for applications if the board sees fit.
Shirley Dickinson of Greensboro, a retired principal of Bethel Park Elementary School for 22 years and a mother of a former baseball player for Pincavitch, said she was more concerned about the board finding a better qualified coach.
“It is your responsibility to have the most qualified person within a position,” Dickinson said to the board. “And I don’t think you will be able to find someone more qualified than Pincavitch.”
She told the board his collegiate experience, being signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992 and his multiple years of coaching experience, were important. She also explained how the success of the baseball team this past year is all the proof the board should need about his qualifications.
“We are lucky to have his level of qualification as a coach here in Greene County,” Dickinson said.
A member of the varsity baseball team, Trey Rohanna, presented the board with a petition signed by numerous people within the community all in support of re-establishing Pincavitch as the head coach.
As the board left for an executive session, some members of the audience shouted out alleged reasons given about Pincavitch’s termination. Uplinger dismissed the accusations and declined to discuss the reasons for Pincavitch’s removal.
Also during the meeting, the board passed the recommended action of eliminating a high school Spanish teaching position. The board said the position had already been terminated, but voting as a board was needed as a formality. Spanish classes will still be offered to students.
The board also passed the eliminate an English teaching position. The result of these eliminations will result in larger class sizes.
The next committee meeting date was changed from Aug. 11 to Aug. 4.