Investigation is ongoing; coaches could get jobs back
MORGAN HILL
The Live Oak High School football team is heading into the first week of spring practice amid controversy and confusion after three assistants were reportedly fired by coach Jon Michael Porras on Tuesday, then told their jobs were intact Wednesday.
The firings have come in the middle of an ongoing second investigation of Porras and have raised suspicion in the community.
The biggest firing was handed down to third-year defensive coordinator Erin Cockrell, 38, whose unit was a catalyst in the Acorns’ run to the Central Coast Section playoffs in fall. Defensive line coach John Fredrick and offensive line/running backs coach Scott Matthews reportedly were fired as well this week.
Cockrell and at least four other assistants have been in meetings with LOHS principal Nick Boden recently to discuss Porras’ behavior and coaching style, which, in the past year, have raised complaints by several players’ parents.
Cockrell met with Boden on April 22 and spoke openly. Tuesday, Cockrell was let go during a meeting with Porras and assistant principal Kim Lemos.
“He told me, ‘The program was going in a different direction.’ I feel like I’ve been thrown under the bus,” Cockrell said. “I answered each question Boden asked me with honesty. I never said I had anything against Jon Michael. I like him. I don’t have any problems. They asked me to answer questions about him because parents have shown concern, and I answered to the best of my ability.”
The following morning, Cockrell received a text message from Porras, asking him to meet again about his job – which was technically safe. Only the principal has the administrative power to fire coaches.
Cockrell said he will talk to Porras on Monday but is still not sure if he has a job.
“All I know is I’m going on vacation this weekend,” he said.
News of the mistake did not break in time to stop several Live Oak players from reportedly planning a protest against Cockrell’s firing Wednesday. It was set to take place on campus during lunch but was defused when assistant superintendant of human resources Jay Totter met with the disgruntled players, sources said.
“I saw a kid holding a ‘Cockrell for president sign.’ It was kind of funny,” Cockrell said. “The players that are against this are asking the same thing I am: What’s the cause to let me go?”
Cockrell, a 1990 Live Oak graduate, has been with the program for eighth years and is well liked by many of his players’ parents. His defense helped the team weather a rebuilding year offensively, creating 19 turnovers and 21 sacks – 2.1 a game.
“He’s one of the best coaches in the league, hands down,” senior linebacker Mark Weber said Thursday. “He really listens to kids and knows how to get through to them in a positive way. The fact that he’s been fired is ridiculous.”
Weber’s father is among roughly 15 parents who asked Boden to investigate Porras in February. They had heard stories about Porras verbally abusing his players, calling them “heartless losers” at halftime during the Acorns’ 22-14 win over Santa Teresa to end the regular season.
Many of the parents were reluctant at first, fearing their kids would see less playing time.
“Porras is vindictive. He has retaliated against the boys, including my son,” said one parent, speaking on anonymity. “This investigation is about the coaches, families in the program and just the state of Live Oak football. This program deserves better.”
Porras did not return phone calls or text messages. He is 16-19 overall (10-11 Mount Hamilton Division) in three seasons at the helm and coached Live Oak to the 2007 Central Coast Section Medium School championship game in his first year.
The Acorns lost 28-24 to Terra Nova in the first round of the Division III playoffs last season.
“Porras is a byproduct of apathy,” Mark Weber Sr. said. “The standard is low to the point where a losing coach is normal. The fact that these kids risk their health to play for a guy who emotionally abuses them – that’s too much.”
Boden stood by Porras at the end of his initial investigation, but parents did not back off. In April, some of them filed an official complaint with Totter, who passed the matter back to the principal. That led to more meetings between Boden and players, parents and coaches.
The confidentiality of those meetings has been brought into question.
“(Boden) has focused the investigation on what the coaches have said to each other, which isn’t what we wanted,” a parent said. “There’s no way he kept what was said in those interviews away from coach Porras. The fact that he went right after three coaches who said anything that might put him in a bad light says it all.”
Phone calls and e-mails to Boden and Lemos were not returned.
