Bowen's out at Grayslake Central
As the summer begins to wind down, Tim Bowen had a chance, earlier this week, to look back at a successful summer session for the Grayslake Central boys basketball team. The Rams went 37-9 over the last two months and showed the form reminiscent of the squad that won 20 games and a regional title last winter.
This past Thursday night, Bowen was looking at a far different picture. This time it wasn't one that would draw his trademark grin after a big win. Instead, Bowen was facing a hearing on his future as boys basketball head coach.
On June 17, the board took a vote to decide whether or not Bowen's contract as a basketball coach would be renewed for the upcoming season. That 2-2 vote led to Thursday's meeting.
The entire Rams basketball team showed up and stated their case in hopes of keeping the coach that had led the Rams over 8 seasons to three 20-win campaigns, two regional crowns and a conference title.
"Hearing the kids talk it was almost like what you might hear at your funeral," Bowen said. "Seeing the reaction of the kids really was touching."
Despite the support of his players, Bowen's contract was not renewed for the upcoming season.
"If anyone sat through that meeting and saw and listened to the kids talk, they would have seen how truly valuable something like that was," Bowen said.
At the school board meeting on Thursday night, no new vote to determine Bowen's future was taken. Instead, the 2-2 vote from June 17 was upheld, meaning Bowen would no longer be coach. He will, however, retain his science teaching position.
"The administration was 100-percent behind us here," Bowen said. "But the school board hit us with a bombshell."
To determine the legal ramifications of this situation, Bowen has retained Joel Handler who represented former Grayslake Central girls basketball coach Mike Hirsch in a similar situation a few years back.
"At this point, we are investigating all available remedies and entities for the various individuals in this situation," Handler said.
The future of the current Grayslake Central assistant coaches and the process for hiring a new head coach have not yet been made clear.