The winningest coach in Collinsville High School softball history will not be asked to return for the 2015 season.
Cindy Kolda
Cindy Kolda was the target this season of formal complaints from parents that she acted inappropriately on and off the field. Anytime complaints or allegations are received against a coach, they are investigated, Athletics Director Darin Lee said, although he declined to comment directly on the situation with Kolda.
Contracts for Collinsville High School coaches are renewed each year by the School Board, based on recommendations from administration. Kolda, therefore, was not terminated as the head coach. The Board voted Monday to advertise the open position.
Calling the situation a personnel matter, Lee said he could not confirm if the complaints played a role in the decision to not renew Kolda’s contract.
“It was a collective decision made by the administration and taken to the school board,” Lee said.
Kolda will retain her position as a business teacher at CHS, Superintendent Bob Green said. Kolda declined to comment for this story.
In eight seasons as the head softball coach, Kolda compiled a 145-130 record, including two regional championships. The team is coming off consecutive 17-19 seasons.
Expectations for the team were high this year, with the entire starting lineup from 2013 returning. The Kahoks started the season 9-3, before losing eight of their next nine games.
The team finished 4-10 in Southwestern Conference play in 2014, before losing to Belleville East in the first round of the Regionals.
A decision to rehire the assistant coaches will not be made until the new head coach has an opportunity to provide input, Lee said.
“I thought we had some very good assistants,” Lee said.
The search for the new head coach will begin shortly, Lee said, with a goal of recommending someone to the School Board at their regularly scheduled September meeting on Sept. 22. Lee said there is no one he plans to contact about the position.
“We’ll just wait and see who applies,” Lee said. “We’ll go from there.”
My daughter was coached by Kolda when she was in high school. I absolutely loved her. Parents are the problem here. Some softball parents tend to think their kid is the next Jenny Finch and want to get aggrevated when they aren’t treated so by the coach. Cindy is a young person who easily related to the girls and joked around on their level. Shame on these whiney ass parents!! If anything parents shouldn’t be allowed at practices and assigned a special area for games. Let the coaches coach…. God this just infuriates me!!! And what she does off the field shouldn’t be anyone’s damn business.
I agree 100%!!!