Technically the coaches don’t start ‘til the fall, so it wouldn’t have been official until the fall. At this point it’s a personnel issue and I’m not going to comment. – Tom Sherwood, Jordan HS principal
SANDY — Less than two months after announcing former Lone Peak assistant Trace Bevell as its new head boys basketball coach, Jordan High is back on the coaching carousel once again.
The Beetdiggers elected to make a change atop the program last week. Specific reasons for the abrupt change in direction haven't been released, and Jordan principal Tom Sherwood declined to comment.
“Technically the coaches don’t start ‘til the fall, so it wouldn’t have been official until the fall,” Sherwood said. “At this point it’s a personnel issue and I’m not going to comment. I’ve been asked to send any inquires to the district office.”
Bevell was brought in to replace Rob Geertsen, who wasn’t retained after this past season.
Canyons School District spokesman Jeff Haney also cited personnel issues when refusing to divulge the specific reasons for the unexpected move.
"We have offered him a position as a teacher and as an assistant coach on the Jordan High boys basketball team," Haney said. "I'm going to cite personnel reasons as the reason I'll decline to talk about it."
Bevell helped guide Lone Peak to a national championship last season and was slated to inherit a ‘Diggers program that finished with a 17-7 record before falling to American Fork in the first round of the 5A tournament last season.
Before Lone Peak, Bevell coached at Western Wyoming Community College and Western Nebraska Community College. He was fired at Western Nebraska in 2003 because a fifth foreign player had a scholarship paid for by a booster club without the school's knowledge, according to The Associated Press. Per NJCAA rules, colleges are allowed up to four foreign players on scholarship each year. The program vacated all 29 wins after the player was ruled ineligible.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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