Ahead of the upcoming spring softball season, Richard Breece, head coach of the Cleveland Varsity team, was removed from his position following complaints from athletes about sexist behavior and inappropriate remarks.

An anonymous player reported to the Clarion that the coach was making sexist remarks, including telling athletes to “smile more” and generally displaying behavior inappropriate for a high school coach.

Attempts to reach Breece for comment were unsuccessful, and the athletic department and Cleveland administration declined to comment on Breece’s removal. 

The athletic office has been working hard to find a coach ahead of the spring season, and they are nearing the end of the interview process.

There have been multiple applicants for the coaching position, and the athletic office is currently in the process of clearing their resumes and questionnaires. The athletic director is also working closely with the softball players in this process, and they brought forward a list of characteristics to look for, and questions to ask. Interviewing will begin soon, with a board made up of athletic director Jacob Lambert, Principal JoAnn Wadkins, parents, players, and former coaches.

The junior varsity coaches are in limbo in terms of employment, as the head coach picks a staff of assistant coaches and junior varsity coaches when they are hired. It’s possible that the current junior varsity coaches may return as staff under the new coach, though it’s likely that they decide to employ new assistants. 

Lambert, the athletic director, is optimistic about the new changes, saying,“This is a great chance to bring in a new candidate that could make great changes to the program.”