Maybe you read about Larry Olimb over the weekend. If you love ice hockey, you might have heard the former U of M standout defenseman and former professional lost his job as head girls’ coach at Orono High School.
Some say he was run out of the job. Others think he has nobody to blame but the guy in the mirror. The only hope here is nobody in New Prague ever endures the same treatment.
And if it has happened, we hope it won’t happen again.
According to a story in an online publication, “The Rink Live,” posted Wednesday, June 23. It chronicles Olimb taking the job in the summer of 2022 and, according to some, was in over his head. He was taken to task by five of the 20 parents of girls’ ice hockey players. He was criticized by some parents for the way he used his players in games, his practice techniques, how he promoted them, or not, for awards and to college scouts.
His team topped New Prague, handily, in November and March. Orono started the season at 9-3-2 and finished it in the state championship game with a 3-1 loss to Warroad, his hometown. The Spartans finished the year at 24-4-4. Even with the gut punch at The X in the title tilt, it should’ve been a wonderful ride.
Sadly, it wasn’t.
Olimb’s coaching demise was an email to the small group of parents in which he sarcastically told them he would resign. He also told school administration he wanted to stay. While the use of sarcasm might have been ill-timed and inadvisable, a district employee can only resign to the district. Sadly, Orono took advantage of the email to parents and accepted Olimb’s decision to step aside.
Rather than stand up for their coach, rather than suggesting the parents make use of open enrollment, Orono’s administration folded like a cheap suit. It allowed parents to take over the program. If there is more to the story, shame on Orono for not sharing it.
Olimb was, as The Rink Live’s headline stated, “One and done.” A district can’t allow a small, self-interested group of parents to run a cocurricular activities program. A district’s activities director needs solid proof of poor management of a program, not the whining of narcissistic parents who care more about their own children than the good of the team, to make a switch that quickly. Why would any worthwhile coach take the job knowing a few pithy emails can put a coach on the hot seat, regardless of the team’s success or failure.
To his credit, author Jess Myers didn’t identify the parents’ names. There’s no sense linking the players to that sort of ridiculous behavior.
Sure, competition is fun, especially when it matters at varsity level. Could this sort of thing happen here, in New Prague? You bet it could. Being a newcomer, it may already have. If it has, shame on us. Good coaches are a treasure that should not be buried