By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — It appears that Plymouth High School is almost ready to name a new head basketball coach.
“Part of the school board agenda on Thursday will be to consider a new basketball coach,” said Dan Tyree, superintendent. “I will make a recommendation to the school board from the search committee who conducted the interviews and they will vote on that recommendation.”

The board will consider the recommendation at its regular meeting on May 15 at 5 p.m. at Webster Elementary. The meeting time is a little earlier than normal because of the track sectional at PHS that night at 6 p.m.
“All of the board members and office staff help at the sectional so we needed to be done in time to get there,” said Tyree. “We want to make sure that everybody knows about the place and time of the meeting so that everybody who wishes to attend can be there.”
The basketball job brought 19 applications from all over the state for the position. Applicants were required to submit an application, their resume, teaching license, transcript and allow the school to conduct a criminal background check — all standard procedures in any Plymouth School Corporation hiring.
“We advertised all over the state, with the IBCA and anywhere else appropriate,” said Tyree. “The process was the same as hiring a principal or even the superintendent.”
An initial screening committee went through the applications and made recommendations to the building committee that screened the applicants for both their teaching position and coaching.
“We had all kinds of applicants; some with extensive head coaching experience and some with none, but a solid background in coaching,” said Tyree. “A lot of the applicants didn’t follow up and provide all the material requested. Those who didn’t supply everything we asked for were obviously eliminated. Many of the applicants were outside the school system, we did have some from within the school system.
“The building committee then made the final round of interviews for their teaching skills as well as coaching.”
The committee is made up of members of the administration and faculty, and is confidential, Tyree said.
“In the past, we learned that sometimes members of the committee will receive unpleasant phone calls at home if it’s known who they are, and as a result we had trouble getting people to serve on the committees,” said Tyree. “We ask them not to talk about it and in return we preserve their confidentiality.”
The meeting is slated for Thursday at Webster Elementary School in Plymouth beginning at 5 p.m.