Greeley Football Coach's Absence Stirs Angst; Suspension Suspected

Concern is mounting over the recent absence of long-time football Coach Bill Tribou.

The matter was announced in a statement emailed to football team parents on Monday by Principal Andrew Selesnick and Athletic Director Steve Young.

"As you may or may not be aware, Coach Bill Tribou has been out of school for approximately two weeks," the statement reads. "As is always the case, out of respect for the privacy of a staff member, we cannot discuss the nature of Mr. Tribou's absence, and in this particular case, we cannot be sure of the duration of his absence."

Tribou is also a gym teacher at Greeley.

With off-season preparations going on for the coming 2012 season, Selesnick and Young have announced what is being done in the meantime.

Tribou's absence leads some in the community to believe that he has been suspended.

In a Tuesday email sent out to the current Greeley community and alumni, a group called Players and Parents of Greeley Football 2012 declared this to be the case.

Jim Nottingham, president of the Greeley Sports Boosters, believes that suspension is the reason, given his experience in knowing Tribou and what possible reasons there would be for him not being on campus. The only other one he could think of would involve the health of his mother - Tribou briefly left the team last year due to her health - but doesn't believe that to be the cause in this case.

School Board Vice President Jeffrey Mester explained that they board cannot comment because it involves a personnel matter.

Nottingham, whose son Jamie plays on the team, is concerned about how the absence will affect running the program. He feels that officials don't really understand the complexity of the program and the elements that go into handling it.

In their joint announcement, Selesnick and Young outlined what the plan is for the meantime.

"We are fully committed, however, to making sure that the football program continues and that your children have an outstanding experience in that program," the statement reads. "To that end, within the past week, we have outlined the elements of the program that take place through the spring and summer months, we have begun to meet with current assistant coaches, with the parents of team captains, with those team captains themselves, and just this past Friday, with all those team members who were available at the end of the school day."

The Greeley players and parents' group is imploring people to turn out at Tuesday's school board meeting, which starts at 8:15 p.m. at Greeley, to offer support for Tribou. The group has announced that players and their parents will be speaking, and are encouraging others, including alumni, to speak out.

The group blasts the district for the handling of Tribou's absence.

"Since it appears that the administration has no idea or understanding of what is needed to form a successful football program, we the players of Greeley Football 2012 understandably feel threatened by the district's action and behavior, which is a far cry from the "caring environment " mentioned in the district's Mission Statement," the statement reads. "The Administration did not talk with us or our parents until two weeks of practice had passed. Most importantly they have no plan in place to keep the program moving forward with qualified personnel."