By MATTHEW RINK
A new king could assume the throne of Perry High’s wrestling empire by next week.
But only members of a selection committee know whether assistant wrestling coach David Riggs, who is credited for constructing the state powerhouse program, will return to power.
Despite Riggs’ recent three-day suspension without pay, he has not been ruled out as a possible pick.
“(The kids) need to know who their coach is going to be,” Superintendent John Richard said. “Let’s get them out on the mats and have a coach before the season starts.”
Richard wants to make a recommendation to the Board of Education by the end of the week. The board meets again at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Pfeiffer Middle School.
Riggs, an assistant wrestling coach and building trades teacher at Perry High, is one of nine coaches who applied for the position, which opened last month following the controversial shake-up of the program.
Head coach Brian Dolph resigned in September amid allegations he used excessive force on a student during a practice in January and that he acted inappropriately during a privately-funded tournament in Las Vegas in 2004.
Riggs spent much of September on paid administrative leave because of separate allegations that he mishandled Perry Wrestling Booster Club funds.
Perry police are investigating both Riggs and Dolph.
The district continues to accept applications for the position, Richard said, and had received nine as of Monday afternoon.
The eight other candidates are:
“¢Keith Rawling, assistant wrestling coach, Central Catholic High. Former assistant, Coventry High.
“¢Brent McBurney, assistant wrestling coach, Perry. State champion for Perry. Stark County Wrestler of the Year in 1997.
“¢Audie Atienza, assistant coach, Solon High.
“¢Joseph Kikume, physical education teacher and coach, Roswell High, Roswell, N.M. Former head coach at Carrollton and Caldwell high schools.
“¢Tom Fausnight, former head coach, North Canton Hoover High.
“¢Ralph Stellato, assistant coach, Glenwood Middle School, Boardman, Ohio.
“¢Joseph Retherford, assistant coach, Ravena High.
“¢David Falleni, head coach, Jefferson Township Public Schools, Oakridge N.J., former assistant at Mount Olive High, Mount Olive, N.J.
Riggs was granted an interview by the selection committee Friday, which includes Richard, Assistant Superintendent Jim Hodinka, Athletic Director Frank Gamble, Perry High Principal Mark Dean and Edison Junior High Principal Joe Chaddock.
The contract between the Perry Classroom Teachers’ Association, the collective-bargaining unit representing Perry teachers, and the district requires internal candidates to be interviewed.
Riggs most likely would have been interviewed despite contract language, Richard said.
“In fairness, it’s good to interview internal candidates,” he added. “That’s a good policy anyway.”
Last week, Riggs’ attorneys, Lee Plakas and Gary Corroto, asked Richard and Hodinka to excuse themselves from the hiring process because they “may have a conflict of interest” due to the “manner in which the matter involving Mr. Riggs has been handled and the possible litigation arising there from,” according to a letter addressed to the district’s attorney, Mary Jo Shannon Slick.
Richard and Hodinka took part in the interview despite the request.
“Ultimately, it’s going to go through me anyways,” said Richard, noting that he makes hiring recommendations to the board for approval. “We’re going to go by our hiring policy. You have to set everything aside and go through your typical process.”
Parents and students supported Riggs by writing 10 letters of recommendation.
“He believes that the wrestlers at Perry deserve to have the best coaching situation possible,” Corroto said. “He’s clearly the most qualified candidate for the job, and he thought it would be the best move to apply.”
Riggs stepped down as head coach in 2003. His stepson, Clint Musser, was hired, but resigned before the season started because he allegedly stole a tractor trailer and led Jackson police on a high speed chase. Dolph coached the team instead.
Riggs’ payment of $40,000 from the booster club to Musser for wrestling clinics he conducted on school property is among the items of misconduct listed by the district in their reprimand.
Attorneys for Riggs have defended the payments, saying they were made over a three-year period and never exceeded the amount of money raised for the clinics.
The letter to Slick mentions “possible litigation,” but Riggs’ attorneys aren’t detailing specifics.
“We’re waiting to see what is going to happen,” Corroto said. “We want to see how it plays out and the process plays out. We’re considering all options, and we haven’t made any final determination.”
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