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Western coach Derek Segaloff resigns after players 'go on strike'
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Derek Segaloff
Western coach Derek Segaloff was fired Wednesday. (Mark Randall / Sun Sentinel / August 10, 2013)
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Broward high school football's Top 50 seniors
Photos: Broward high school football's Top 50 seniors
By Steve Gorten
Sun Sentinel
5:50 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2013
Western football coach Derek Segaloff resigned Wednesday less than midway through his first season after a revolt by a majority of the team’s players.
Receivers coach Jermaine Hollis was promoted to replace Segaloff.
Segaloff told the Sun Sentinel he stepped down after meeting with Western principal Jimmy Arrojo on Wednesday morning and Wildcats players before that. Western is 0-4 and has been outscored 114-3 in four games.
Segaloff, 29, wouldn’t say he was forced to resign, and said he didn’t want to elaborate on the situation because he’s still employed as a social studies teacher at the school, but said he was “extremely disappointed” about the move.
“It’s extremely hard. This is something where I’ve worked my entire life to get to this point,” Segaloff said. “You live and learn. I’ve learned a lot in a short period of time. …I did everything to the best of my ability and did everything I could with the cards I was dealt.”
In a statement released by Broward County Public Schools, Arrojo noted the team “is looking forward to this Friday’s game against Miramar and a successful continuation of the season.”
The team practiced Wednesday afternoon under the direction of Hollis, who last year was South Broward’s boys basketball coach.
According to multiple sources within the team, a majority of players were unhappy with Segaloff’s handling of the team and coaching style. One starter, who along with his mom asked for him not to be identified, told the Sun Sentinel that between 30 and 40 players went on “strike” Monday and skipped practice. Segaloff cancelled Tuesday’s practice after only about 25 players showed up the day before.
“We wanted to get the word out that we refused to play until we saw a change,” the player who spoke to the Sun Sentinel said, “and we didn’t see a change.”
He said players started complaining to their parents about two weeks ago. He added he was surprised a change was made midseason.
“I’m happy,” the player said of the move, “but sad because I’ve known Coach Segaloff. But he just wasn’t ready for the job. He was a good man, but he wasn’t a good coach.”
The player guessed about “90 percent” of the team wanted a change, with the rest backing Segaloff. He added that Segaloff showed favoritism toward a small, select group of players, didn’t seem to take the losses seriously, had a verbal confrontation with one player in front of the team while kicking every player out of one practice, and generally didn’t have a grip on the team.
“The reason we went on strike is because it felt like nobody was taking the season seriously,” the player said. “The biggest thing in my opinion was [Segaloff] wasn’t ready. He was too young of a coach and didn’t have everything together.”
Asked if he felt there needed to be a coaching change, the player noted: “Yeah. I felt it 100 percent. I thought twice about not finishing the season myself, but I couldn’t give up on my teammates.”
Western was 7-3 in 2012 under former coach Rashad West, who resigned after the season. Segaloff, one of the youngest coaches in Broward County, took over a program that lost several of its top players as transfers to other schools, most notably quarterback Wade Freebeck, one of the county’s top 50 prospects and a University of Pittburgh commitment.
Segaloff told the Sun Sentinel last week that he was using the losses to Cardinal Gibbons, South Plantation, Monarch, and most recently Everglades, as teaching opportunities.
“Obviously, the schedule-makers didn’t do us any favors, but we knew what we were getting into when the season started,” Segaloff said. “We have to keep learning and keep getting better each week.”
Segaloff did have the support of some players. He told the Sun Sentinel last week that senior linebacker Mason Arcacha gave him a memorable quote.
“It said the difference between winners and losers is that winners keep fighting until they win,” Segaloff said. “So that’s kind of the message I’ve been giving to the team. We just have to keep clawing, keep fighting and eventually it’s going to turn around for us.”
On Wednesday, Western’s leadership decided it wouldn’t with Segaloff in charge. During his meeting with players Wednesday, Segaloff said, he apologized to them in an “attempt to unify the team” and stop “a lot of players from pointing fingers at each other.”
Western coach Derek Segaloff resigns after players 'go on strike'
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3
Share
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Derek Segaloff
Western coach Derek Segaloff was fired Wednesday. (Mark Randall / Sun Sentinel / August 10, 2013)
Related
Football predictions (Week 5)
Broward high school football's Top 50 seniors
Photos: Broward high school football's Top 50 seniors
By Steve Gorten
Sun Sentinel
5:50 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2013
Western football coach Derek Segaloff resigned Wednesday less than midway through his first season after a revolt by a majority of the team’s players.
Receivers coach Jermaine Hollis was promoted to replace Segaloff.
Segaloff told the Sun Sentinel he stepped down after meeting with Western principal Jimmy Arrojo on Wednesday morning and Wildcats players before that. Western is 0-4 and has been outscored 114-3 in four games.
Segaloff, 29, wouldn’t say he was forced to resign, and said he didn’t want to elaborate on the situation because he’s still employed as a social studies teacher at the school, but said he was “extremely disappointed” about the move.
“It’s extremely hard. This is something where I’ve worked my entire life to get to this point,” Segaloff said. “You live and learn. I’ve learned a lot in a short period of time. …I did everything to the best of my ability and did everything I could with the cards I was dealt.”
In a statement released by Broward County Public Schools, Arrojo noted the team “is looking forward to this Friday’s game against Miramar and a successful continuation of the season.”
The team practiced Wednesday afternoon under the direction of Hollis, who last year was South Broward’s boys basketball coach.
According to multiple sources within the team, a majority of players were unhappy with Segaloff’s handling of the team and coaching style. One starter, who along with his mom asked for him not to be identified, told the Sun Sentinel that between 30 and 40 players went on “strike” Monday and skipped practice. Segaloff cancelled Tuesday’s practice after only about 25 players showed up the day before.
“We wanted to get the word out that we refused to play until we saw a change,” the player who spoke to the Sun Sentinel said, “and we didn’t see a change.”
He said players started complaining to their parents about two weeks ago. He added he was surprised a change was made midseason.
“I’m happy,” the player said of the move, “but sad because I’ve known Coach Segaloff. But he just wasn’t ready for the job. He was a good man, but he wasn’t a good coach.”
The player guessed about “90 percent” of the team wanted a change, with the rest backing Segaloff. He added that Segaloff showed favoritism toward a small, select group of players, didn’t seem to take the losses seriously, had a verbal confrontation with one player in front of the team while kicking every player out of one practice, and generally didn’t have a grip on the team.
“The reason we went on strike is because it felt like nobody was taking the season seriously,” the player said. “The biggest thing in my opinion was [Segaloff] wasn’t ready. He was too young of a coach and didn’t have everything together.”
Asked if he felt there needed to be a coaching change, the player noted: “Yeah. I felt it 100 percent. I thought twice about not finishing the season myself, but I couldn’t give up on my teammates.”
Western was 7-3 in 2012 under former coach Rashad West, who resigned after the season. Segaloff, one of the youngest coaches in Broward County, took over a program that lost several of its top players as transfers to other schools, most notably quarterback Wade Freebeck, one of the county’s top 50 prospects and a University of Pittburgh commitment.
Segaloff told the Sun Sentinel last week that he was using the losses to Cardinal Gibbons, South Plantation, Monarch, and most recently Everglades, as teaching opportunities.
“Obviously, the schedule-makers didn’t do us any favors, but we knew what we were getting into when the season started,” Segaloff said. “We have to keep learning and keep getting better each week.”
Segaloff did have the support of some players. He told the Sun Sentinel last week that senior linebacker Mason Arcacha gave him a memorable quote.
“It said the difference between winners and losers is that winners keep fighting until they win,” Segaloff said. “So that’s kind of the message I’ve been giving to the team. We just have to keep clawing, keep fighting and eventually it’s going to turn around for us.”
On Wednesday, Western’s leadership decided it wouldn’t with Segaloff in charge. During his meeting with players Wednesday, Segaloff said, he apologized to them in an “attempt to unify the team” and stop “a lot of players from pointing fingers at each other.”
