Schools

Emails Show Rocky Relationship for Tribou & Athletic Director

Correspondences from November purport to show coach angry over not being informed of regional meeting.

While it is unclear as to why Horace Greeley High School football Coach Bill Tribou , people in the community, privately and in public, have described him as having a tough relationship within the district. A chain of emails sent to Patch that are attributed to Tribou suggest this to be the case.

The emails date to November and center around Tribou not being aware of a Section I, Class A coaches' meeting, in which players from the region would get support for honors.

When reached Thursday, Tribou responded that he did not remember the emails. However, a source involved with the football program confirmed most of the emails and acknowledged being among those to receive them. The source asked for anonymity in this story.

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The chain shows a frustrated Tribou emailing Greeley Athletic Director Steve Young, calling for the meeting to be reconvened and exclaiming that he has not missed one in 30 years.

In outrage, Tribou wrote to Young that it is unacceptable he cannot advocate for his players. He was also upset that Young did not contact him about a correspondance he had with a Section I official who informed Young about the meeting. Young, in another email, told Tribou he thought the official notified the coaches "as he usually does."

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On Nov. 17, Tribou forwarded his email chain to Superintendent Lyn McKay, calling for her to help get Section I to reopen the meeting. In it, he criticized Young and noted that he has already been instructed by then-Superintendent David Fleishman not to talk openly about the job performance of co-workers.

"It  is no secret that we do not work well together," the email states. "This last incompetence is my breaking point. You probably know that I have a letter of counsel in my file written by David Fleishman. It states that I cannot discuss publically the job performance, or pay grade of my colleagues. Because of Mr. Young's oversight/dishonesty/incompetence I cannot keep still. I will have to provide information to the players parents and as well  my captains regarding this matter."

The source explained that Tribou's relationship with district officials - Young, along with Greeley Principal Andrew Selesnick were named as examples - has been a problem further back than the past season. The source, who does not know why Tribou was suspended, does not believe that the November incident is what caused Tribou's suspension, but feels that it shows his relationship with Young.

The source also agreed with the sentiments expressed at Tuesday's school board meeting by Greeley alumni parent Sean Higgins, and that there was a "personal vendetta" involved.

The school board and district officials have stated that they cannot comment about Tribou's status because it is a personnel matter.


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