April 25, 2024

PCM now in search of girls basketball coach

By Troy Hyde

Former Prairie City-Monroe girls’ basketball coach Bret Grier is shown in the background as Mustang sophomore Katie VandeWall runs through a drill at a preseason practice last season. Grier said he was told by an administrator at the school Tuesday night that he would no longer be the head coach. The school district is denying that Grier was fired. (Troy Hyde)

Prairie City-Monroe High School will have a new high school girls’ basketball coach next season.

Bret Grier guided the Mustangs program for the past four seasons but informed the Newton Daily News on Wednesday that he was let go Tuesday night.

A message from Grier also was posted to the PCM Girls Basketball Facebook page.

“There have been no staff terminations processed in the PCM Community School District at this time, and the article appearing on the girls’ basketball Facebook page is inaccurate,” PCM Superintendent Jame Babcock said on behalf of the school district.

Grier shut down the PCM girls basketball Facebook page Wednesday. He also is alleging that he did not resign and was instead fired. The district called the change an involuntary transfer, according to Grier.

Babcock spoke briefly Wednesday via a phone interview about the situation and Grier’s social media post. She denied Grier’s public claim that he was fired by PCM Athletic Director Greg Bonnett following a private meeting Tuesday night.

Babcock indicated that PCM leadership will have no further comments regarding Grier’s departure. Bonnett also declined to comment.

"Although I met with and spoke athletic director with Greg Bonnett, and he is the person who advised me that I was being involuntarily transferred, I have no doubt the directive to release me of my head coaching duties came from Superintendent Jane Babcock," Grier told the Newton Daily News in an email. "This is the way Jane communicates with people. If a parent or parents complain about a situation, she will have someone take care of it right away. It's sad commentary on how things work in situations like this."

Grier is a graduate of PCM High School. His father Joel Grier has been a coach in the district for more than 35 years and Bret Grier played for current boys basketball coach Fred Lorensen.

Bret Grier said the district’s transfer offer was to an assistant coaching position with Lorensen and his father Joel Grier on the boys basketball team, but he turned it down.

The Mustang girls went 16-8 overall this past season and were 14-4 in the Heart of Iowa Conference.

In his four years at the helm, Grier was 59-33 overall and 49-20 in side the HOIC. PCM was 15-8 two years ago, 15-7 three seasons ago and 13-10 in Grier’s first year.

The program was never worse than fifth in the league, and the Mustangs finished third twice and tied for second this past season.

Grier guided the Mustangs to the regional finals in his last year as head coach. They lost to then-undefeated No. 1 Mediapolis, whose team consisted of two all-state post players and an all-state guard.

“Parents have crazy unrealistic expectations and desires for their kids and the sports they play, and administrators are put into tough situations like this because people are just plain off-base nuts about sports,” Grier said. “But if we — teachers, coaches, administrators and school board members — do not advise parents of these unrealistic expectations then we are not doing our part as a school district.”

Before returning home to coach at PCM, Grier coached at Grand View College and Central College.

Grier said he told his side of the situation publicly via Facebook because he wanted the community to know the entire story.

“I didn’t involuntarily step down, I didn’t resign on my own and I didn’t try to become the boys assistant,” Grier said. “I was fired.”