Nagy comments on resignation as coach
As reported in the Sept. 24, 2015 issue of the Advance, Rogers City High School (RCHS) varsity football coach Tim Nagy handed RCHS athletic director David O’Bryant his resignation earlier this week.
Nagy was contacted by the Advance for comments Tuesday, but those comments arrived via e-mail after the Advance went to press Wednesday at noon. In his comments, received Wednesday afternoon, Nagy offers his side of the story.
“The whole thing started when I was verbally attacked by David O’Bryant in regards to making a football team decision. I was repeatedly called on the phone while at home as Mr. David O’Bryant demanded my resignation. This disagreement involved bringing a sophomore student athlete I needed to play on varsity due to the fact that we had six players injured that week and he is probably the best lineman I had available. And for whatever reason Mr. O’Bryant insisted he play on the junior varsity team,” Nagy told the Advance.
Nagy did not coach at last week’s Hillman game, missing for what O’Bryant characterized as an “illness.” Rogers City lost 22-6.
“This has put the team in a ‘plan to fail’ situation in that all the teams we compete against put their best players on the field regardless of the class year they are in. This has been proven in that our junior varsity team has been very successful and the varsity has struggled,” Nagy said.
The longtime coach said he has done everything possible to bring a great football program to RCHS. His teams have improved by two wins per season each year he coached from one win to three to five last season. One of those losses from last year’s 5-4 season came when an ineligible student played in a game. O’Bryant took the blame for allowing that to happen, a forfeit loss, after defeating AuGres on the football field. The forfeit cost the Hurons a playoff berth in 2014.
“As I was driving home following a meeting (Tuesday), I felt that I was being investigated for committing some type of major crime. But I realized I had done nothing wrong and did not deserve to be treated in this fashion. Basically my options were to be suspended, quit or be fired. I was forced into this situation by the un
“I cannot coach under these conditions and have decided to disassociate myself from Mr. O’Bryant. Apparently Mr. O’Bryant has demanded the resignation of (other) coaches recently at Rogers City. I find this to be a troubling pattern. The least I expect is a written apology concerning this matter signed by David O’Bryant,” Nagy said Wednesday.
Nagy said he loved coaching at RCHS and has met some great people and this situation is disappointing.