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Hammonds

Nolin explains process for picking next baseball coach

By Michael Butler

Kyle Hammonds has tendered his resignation as head coach of the Tallasseee High School baseball team. Now the program will begin the search for his replacement.

School superintendent Dr. Brock Nolin spoke on WTLS on Tuesday about the hiring process and negativity surrounding the high profile job.

"There seems to be no more polarizing position than the one that's just come open," said Nolin. "What people don't understand, it didn't just come open. The resignation didn't just happen Friday. Before you get on Facebook and start ranting and raving, you ought to gather the facts."

Hammonds addressed the team after the Tigers' 4-1 loss to Beauregard on Friday, April 15 - informing them that the game would be his last at THS. He was 4-24 in his one and only season.

Nolin noted that filling coaching positions has "no set protocol."

Nolin

"There's multiple lanes you can travel down," he said. "Ultimately, the board takes action on the superintendent's recommendation to either vote it down or approve it."

In this instance, Nolin is going the route of selecting a committee to weigh in on the candidates.

"I'm developing a committee. If you're interested in serving, let me know. I have open ears. One of my jobs is listening to the community. That's what I'm going to do. Even in the committee process, who's it going to come back to? Who's going to have to answer for it? It's me. I have to be comfortable with the recommendation I'm going to make."

Nolin said that he wants a "good representation" with the committee including school personnel and community members.

"If you sign on, you better have thick skin. Your friends, who you think are your friends, are going to wrap it in a package of what's best for the kids, but what they really mean is what's best for my kid.

"Baseball is a tradition in Tallassee - no doubt. I understand. A lot of my friends have state championship rings. You're guaranteed to piss off 50 percent of the people. I wish folks would get invigored, upset and fired up about academics, but that's not reality."