Coaches voice opinions on realignment plan

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s plan to realign the top two classes in Southern Nevada has been met with overwhelming support from athletic administrators, associate principals and principals.

But coaches, at least those who attended a forum Wednesday at Del Sol, aren’t as enamored.

A handful of coaches voiced opposition to a plan that would merge Class 4A and Class 3A and break those teams into two divisions based on competitive balance. The plan is also expected to help cut down on transportation costs, especially those incurred by the three 3A schools.

“Every time we talk about it, what it all comes down to is finances,” said Silverado football coach Andy Ostolaza, who offered an alternative of simply adding Boulder City, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley to the Sunrise Region and shifting Chaparral to the Southeast League to balance the number of teams in leagues. “Why not make it the most cost efficient way? (The plan now) makes no sense financially.”

Ostolaza, Sierra Vista baseball coach Nate Selby and Moapa Valley football coach Brent Lewis were among the most vocal critics of the application of the Nevada Rubric, a mathematical formula that takes into account teams’ finishes during the past two seasons. If approved by the NIAA’s Board of Control in October, realignment would take place prior to the 2012-13 season.

Under the rubric, Class 4A Division I will comprise four six-team leagues. The current 3A schools — Boulder City, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley — would join 10 current 4A schools in Division II.

Current leagues will be splintered, and some rivalries could suffer.

“We didn’t need 10 teams,” Lewis said. “We just needed three or four more ... and to not have to cause chaos for the whole 4A.”

A handful of coaches offered their own proposals, none of which was met with more than mild support from the 40 coaches in attendance. The proposal that got the most support involved dropping language from the rubric that allows schools with an enrollment under 1,200 to remain in Division II instead of moving to Division I after two years if that school reaches a built-in point threshold in the rubric.

“I wanted a chance to go back and forth and have coaches be able to tell us what their concerns are,” said Clark County School Board member Erin Cranor, who also serves on the Board of Control. “We had some things brought up that the Board of Control is going to need to have some dialogue about.”

Still, not everyone in attendance was against the rubric as it was offered.

“It’s good for the kids that are at schools that struggle consistently at every sport,” Las Vegas High boys basketball coach Jason Wilson said. “I don’t understand why a coach wouldn’t want to put his kids in the best situation to be competitive every single game.”