Clodi out at St. Charles East?

Perhaps student petitions might help Brian Clodi retain his position as St. Charles East boys head varsity basketball coach.

Otherwise the situation does not look good for the eight-year Saints coach.

Jim Blaney, director of School and Community Relations for St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, said St. Charles East athletic director Jerry Krieg did not provide a favorable review of the coach in the usual end-of-season review.

“At the end of each season, the athletic director reviews every coach and makes a recommendation to the principal. Then a formal review takes place,” Blaney said. “It's the recommendation of the athletic director, and the principal (Robert Miller) agrees with the recommendation, that this coach not be retained in his current position.

“However, the review process is not complete. And that process should be completed sometime this coming week.”

Initially getting wind of this on Wednesday, members of the Saints' basketball program started a rally at 7 a.m. Friday at the school, getting students to sign petitions to present to Miller, according to St. Charles East varsity player Kendall Stephens.

Phone calls and messages to Clodi and Krieg seeking comment were not returned.

One student at the rally, a St. Charles East junior not in the basketball program who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We wanted to stand up for him because we think he's a great guy, and we just don't think he deserved what happened to him.”

The student said the rally, replete with signs and messages on T-shirts supporting the coach and physical education instructor, was held outside St. Charles East's main office and attracted approximately 100 students.

Though the situation officially remains in flux the circumstances sounded more final coming from Everette Stephens, the former NBA player who served as a St. Charles East boys varsity assistant this season. Stephens knows the feeling, being let go after coaching Elgin Academy for nine seasons from 2000-09.

“I don't know all that much, just the fact that it all came at us very sudden when coach told us (after school Wednesday) he was fired,” Everette Stephens said.

“I haven't spoken with any of the administration,” he said. “The only person I briefly spoke to was Coach Clodi. He informed me of the situation, and that was about it.

“I haven't even thought past it, because I'm in disbelief.”

His son Kendall was named honorary captain of the 2010-11 Daily Herald Tri-Cities All-Area Boys Basketball Team during a season in which he verbally committed to Purdue University.

Kendall Stephens said he and his teammates have stated their support for Clodi to Krieg, Miller and Superintendent Dr. Donald Schlomann.

“What we tried to tell them was how much passion Coach Clodi has for the game and the players,” Stephens said.

The sophomore said it was frustrating not to hear the particulars about the situation, but administrative policy does not allow for explanation of personnel issues.

“They weren't allowed to tell us the main story,” Kendall Stephens said. “We just all gave our input on what we felt, and it worked well. But I'm not really sure it really did the job.”

Clodi compiled a record of 96-128 through eight seasons. The recent 14-14 campaign was the Saints' best since going 17-12 in 2005-06, the finest mark in Clodi's tenure.

It .500 record was a decent showing considering an 0-5 start that included four games at St. Charles East's own grueling Ron Johnson Thanksgiving Tournament.

Kendall Stephens thought it was indeed a surprise, but sounded more impressed with Clodi's inspirational abilities — “the big picture rather than just winning or losing,” Stephens said.

Clodi came under fire following the 2008-09 season as well, but weathered that storm.

The next week will see if he can weather another one.

“It happened before, so why couldn't it happen again? That's how I'm looking at it,” said Everette Stephens, who described his feelings of Clodi's possible dismissal as “a gray cloud hovering.”

“Even if there's a two-percent chance of him returning,” Stephens said, “I'm hoping and praying that could fall into place.”