Buffalo head football coach Pat Lynch officially resigned on Monday after distributing what a media report called an “inappropriate flier” to his football team prior to a playoff game against Star Valley.
The Big Horn Mountain Radio Network reported Lynch’s resignation. The network’s story did not specify the details of the flier distributed to the team.
The network’s story said Lynch will maintain his position as a guidance counselor at Buffalo High School.
Lynch had been Buffalo’s head coach since 1998. He led the Bison to state championships in 2004 and 2005 and runner-up finishes in 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2010. His career record with the Bison was 97-41.
Buffalo finished 6-4 this season, defeating Star Valley in the Class 3A quarterfinals before losing to Douglas in the semifinals.
Click here for the BHMRN story.
Lynch is the third Wyoming football head coach in the past week to vacate his position. Mountain View coach Tim Gonzales resigned last week, while Big Horn coach Bert Dow and his staff were let go by the school district.
–patrick
The survey Lynch distributed contained several homophobic and sexists connotations such as “I am a queer”, “I am a little bitch”, and “I am a pussy”. Apparently his actions weren’t disturbing to the Superintendent Rod Kessler and the Johnson County School board.
I would hope there is more to this story if lynch is being allowed to stay on as a guidance counselor of all things! Surely there are more consequences than just being allowed to resign as football coach. The Superintendent and Board need to realize what kind of message they are sending.
Why would anybody want to coach in high school anymore?? When everything you do is under scrutiny from mommy’s and daddy’s! This incident at Buffalo didn’t put one person in harm’s way or traumatize any student athletes. All this coach was doing was trying to find a different way to motivate his team to play beyond their ability. If you listen to 99% of the kids music they have words alot worse than was was mentioned on the paper handed out or just watch prime time television tonight!! This is just a bunch poopy pants parents that have an axe to grind and the school board wilted. If this is on my watch, I tell the coach to use better judgement and lets move on.
Sadly, there isn’t more to this story. Lynch distributed a disgusting homophobic and sexist document to his players (which I will email to you if you post your address) and the only repercussion is that he resigned from his coaching duties.
@Football Lover
How do you know that the incident at Buffalo “didn’t put one person in harm’s way or traumatize any student athletes”? Have you contacted each player to get their thoughts? Thankfully this isn’t your watch and that your opinion is obviously in the minority.
Why don’t you post the whole letter on here so we can all read it and form our own opinions.
Thanks
I’ve read the letter (report) it also can be found on the the internet by going to Google and typing in “hurt feelings report” and its the one made by Millwright Masters.com. Be careful not to be traumatized!!!
Lynch made a few small modifications to the report located below but it is very close:
http://www.millwrightmasters.com/Must%20Reads/PDF/Hurt%20Feelings%20Report.pdf
How many of you would feel comfortable with your child being “counseled” or “guided” by someone who thinks it’s okay to distribute this document?
After reading th link I think the biggest thing that I see is a poor lack of judgement on Coach Lynchs part. I would never send something like this home with players. On the other hand I highly doubt it is going to permenantly scar any of the players either. While not very smart on his part, as a parent/coach I don’t know that I would have gone after him and gotten him fired either. A simple apology would have worked for me and then he should have been reprimanded by the administrators and told that everything sent home to players will have to be screened in the future would have been enough in my opinion.
@BHS Bronc
So do you think you would still have a job if you handed out this document at your workplace?
Probably not. I couldn’t say for sure because I’ve never done something like this. I’m just saying as a parent I doubt I would push it as far as some of the Buffalo parents have.
What makes you think that a coach who would hand this out would even think he owed anyone an apolgy? Serious lack of judgement on his part.
Seriously Jason, it’s people like you that has turned our society into a bunch of bedwetters. 10 years ago this isn’t even a discussion. Now everybody’s feelings get hurt and we have to live in a nanny society because of it. Coach Lynch called like he saw it.
While I do think that this was over the top on Lynchs part I don’t think he should have been fired over it.
First, I do not think anyone believes this was an appropriate message to send to high school students. If you think nothing is wrong with this, please stay away from me and my family.
That means the question here is not about the level of appropriateness. The question is about the punishment. There, we can agree to disagree.
Second, if you are going to attack someone who has put a full name on their comment, you better have the courage to put your full name on yours. This ain’t other sites.
–patrick
Their is nothing gray about this issue, its black and white. He was wrong, big time, and your right, the punishment does not fit the crime. He should have been fired from the district, not just his coaching job. I sit on the Green River school board, and because this involves personnel, we will never hear the whole story, and should not. We entrust our elected officals to make decisions, some easy and some tough, so I applaud the Buffalo school board. Until you sit on the side of making tough decisions, don’t be so critical. I hope Pat can recover from this mistake. For those people who live in Buffalo who think the board is wrong, I implore you to put your name on the ballot. Its easy to sit on a blog and complain, do something about it.
Sexual slurs are something that has no place anywhere in American society. There is nothing about calling someone a queer, or implying sexual orientation has anything do with toughness or athletic ability.
The packet sent home by Lynch is offensive and inappropriate for high school age athletes, in college or professional sports, things are different.
Lynch should not be allowed to educate in Wyoming or anywhere else for a while till he calms down. Also, this mis-step shows me that his time has come. He clearly was tired of coaching.
Susan Snyder @ K2Radio wrote a nice piece and included the actual survey that Pat Lynch distributed.
http://k2radio.com/offensive-survey-leads-to-buffalo-head-coach-resignation/
Well said Steve and Nick!
Has anyone watched the news about penn state? To do nothing about wrong doing makes everyone equally responsible. The board and superintendent made the right decision. Keep making the hard decisions, your community will be better for it.
The only decision the board and superintendent made was to accept Lynch’s resignation as coach. They chose to retain him as guidance counselor. They absolutely did not make a hard decision. Lynch doesn’t deserve a job in our public schools or anywhere in the state.
Lynch needs to be gone. The actions were bad enough to resign from football and weightlifting but not bad enough to resign from his HS counseling position??? You are kidding me! Besides……………..this is nothing new from this guy. He’s been pulling this crap with kids in Buffalo for years. I live in Buffalo …My kids live in Buffalo. I’ve seen and heard it first hand. He’s sorry he got caught…………. not for what he did and I will promise you this incident has not changed his mind how he treats and bullies groups of people. Pat Lynch thought he was above the law in Buffalo and for that matter the Supt and the School Board have proven that by allowing him to stay in such an important position. Come on man?? What is the admin and school board thinking? You guys are giving yourselves a black eye by not doing anything about this. Look yourself in the mirror. It’s been a known fact that he always had his favorites and if you did not fit his mold you were nothing and treated badly. The Supt has known this for years. Ask Kessler…………..if he says no he’s not telling the truth. This is a no brainer people.
It amazes me that some of you are calling for a persons job, but hiding behind a blog name. At least have guts enough to not hide.
I am not saying that the consequences are or are not stiff enough.
This is nothing like what happend at Penn State. Even Joe Paterno told his AD and President of wrong doings.
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