PHS Coach

[bballgirl09]

THoughts???

[brdfan2]

Its sad that this has happen. Sad for his family, the school and the wrestling team..:(:(

[PDfootballfan]

I don't understand how someone can be so stupid. I mean, its bad enough to be drinking and smoking, but speeding at the same time???? That's just asking to be caught. I don't agree with the drug use, but if you're going to do it, do it some place where you aren't put others at risk by driving!!!

[ohyeagettintight]

Who would be the best fit as coach there now?

[coachu]

Simply Strickland is just about irreplaceable. I have been in the room with him many times and the gusy technique and intensity outstanding. Words cant express his value to PHS and PWA. I feel very sorry for the PHS wrestling team. Some of the kids families made great sacrifices to wrestle under Strickland. I hope that the school board and PWA board will look long and hard to find a decent replacement for him. That will be a great challenge! As far as Mark Strickland, everyone makes mistakes and his life should not be judged by and isolated event. Everyone has done something in there lives that they wish they had not done. Mark is a good guy and he was in it for the kids. What he did was wrong and he should be punished. I just hope that the wrestling family can forgive and forget with time. I would like to see Strickland coaching again somewhere in the future. Sadly, this will be a long shot. Good luck Mark. Some of us still believe in you.

[YC Sports Look]

Simply Strickland is just about irreplaceable. I have been in the room with him many times and the gusy technique and intensity outstanding. Words cant express his value to PHS and PWA. I feel very sorry for the PHS wrestling team. Some of the kids families made great sacrifices to wrestle under Strickland. I hope that the school board and PWA board will look long and hard to find a decent replacement for him. That will be a great challenge! As far as Mark Strickland, everyone makes mistakes and his life should not be judged by and isolated event. Everyone has done something in there lives that they wish they had not done. Mark is a good guy and he was in it for the kids. What he did was wrong and he should be punished. I just hope that the wrestling family can forgive and forget with time. I would like to see Strickland coaching again somewhere in the future. Sadly, this will be a long shot. Good luck Mark. Some of us still believe in you.

Coachu you're kidding right? No one is irreplaceable and this boo hoo stuff about folks making sacrifices to wrestle under Strickland that was all choice made by the folks coming to the program. Mark Strickland is in fact an outstanding coach however he is human and is replaceable. I trust he will learn from this incident and lean forward however lets not make him bigger then life. Poquoson is built on tradition maybe a perhaps it is time the school administration gets over the political disconnects with the local Bull Islanders who created the Poquoson tradition and extend an olive branch to a Bull Islander who will take the program over and bring back to Bull Islander stoutness.

The current Poquoson team is not the foundation of the tradition, they are the new breed, the city of Poquoson is full of plenty of kids that are in fact capable of making the wrestling program as respectable as it was in past years once all the people who moved in and made sacrifices make some more sacrifices and move out.

By the way I am skewed being a Bull Islander from years back.

[coachu]

I was just trying to to Express my opinion on this tread. Its what most people are scared to do. You may be an old Bull Islander. But there are some who are still Bull Islander's. I feel like you are offend buy my post. Calm down old school!

[YC Sports Look]

I was just trying to to Express my opinion on this tread. Its what most people are scared to do. You may be an old Bull Islander. But there are some who are still Bull Islander's. I feel like you are offend buy my post. Calm down old school!


No Offense taken, it is disappointing to see the Islanders start the season this way however it should be no surprise in Poquoson according to several of the kids I went to school with. The entire process appears to be flawed and to compound the situation we have all the parents feeling they have to defend the situation. Several other blogs out there are hammering the coach and rightfully so however any parent that moved a kid in to wrestle is out of touch with life and any local who was aware of this behavior is at fault also. Just a bad situation all the way around hopefully the new coach can get started soon. Maybe the new president can promise the Islanders something also

[BRDJunkie]

All things considered, time of season the arrest came, caliber of the coach, what's he was charged with, etc, this is a lose-lose proposition. It's an understatement he made a mistake and should and will be punished, but what do you do if you're the administration? Should you leave the guy on in an "assistant" role with probation, or make a clean break? If he's gone for good, and that would unfortunately be my bet, take your time with this next hire. Should you hire from "outside" the family? When it comes to high school wrestling jobs in this state, this is one of about 10 schools I would consider an "A" job. I also checked the Va wrestling web site, and more than 200 people have "viewed" or know the job is open. I would also bet there were a large amount of resumes. Sorry for the rambling, just hire a good, quality, coach, and get it right the first time. Period!

[BullsFan]

The healing continues daily. Mark's intensity will be missed, but the caliber of coach they selected is high in my opinion.

Mike Casey is a tremendous worker and student of the sport. He will prepare this team and future teams for the battlegrounds of national competition and will have them ready to perform at state.

[capthawk]

Coach Strickland is a great coach. I have been wrestling under his instruction for 3 years. Yes he made some huge mistakes but no one can question his character. he cared for everyone that came through PWA and he showed it everyday, and for that i will always be thankful for what he tought me.:)