By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – Normal West High School’s new head football coach is Nathan Fincham after Unit 5’s school board endorsed his selection despite a community activist’s objection.
Fincham was an assistant to former coach Darren Hess, who resigned in December amid a controversy over booster club stipends paid to assistant coaches.
Some parents, feeling the district kept them in the dark about the reasons for Hess’ departure, backed Fincham’s promotion.
However, former Unit 5 Citizens Advisory Council President David Cobb said the football program should clean house to get rid of what he described as nepotism and systemic bias.
Cobb pleaded for the board to hire African-Americans for major coaching jobs.
Cobb said, “We’ve never had a person of color as a head football coach in a unit that’s over 100 years old, or a head basketball coach, or an African-American, or a person of color A.D. (athletic director). Why is that?”
Superintendent Mark Daniel said Unit 5 is working for a more diverse faculty, but defended how Fincham was hired.
“There was an extensive interview process with a very diverse committee, and that committee chose our teacher, Nate Fincham,” said Daniel.
The superintendent believes Fincham is serious about diversity on his coaching staff.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
