An Alabama high school golf coach just led his team to a championship. Now, he's out of a gig. And it's all because he wanted his entire team to get the recognition he feels they deserved.
White Plains coach Marcus Harrell led his girls team to consecutive Class 4A-5A championships in 2015 and 2016. Harrell believes all of his players, regardless of how often they played in matches, should receive championship rings for being part of the team. The school said no and that they would only allow the top four players on the team to get rings. In protest, Harrell, a former collegiate player at Jacksonville State, resigned his post.
Harrell believes the school's junior high team, which he also coaches, should get rings as well.
“These girls were practically our varsity B-team," Harrell said to AL.com. "They were our non-starters. These girls played in varsity tournaments, these girls played in the varsity county tournament, these girls competed in sectionals, and I turned them in as alternates (for the state tournament) in case an injury occurred."
White Plains won its second consecutive title with a 51-stroke (read that again) victory in the state tournament. Harrell's teams are responsible for the only state titles in school history.
Part of the question is who would pay for the rings. In Alabama, individual families or sports team booster groups typically foot the bill.
Harrell, who was also coach of the boys golf team, isn't sure what he's going to do next.
