Inzer approved as new football coach 5-2 [06/24/2006]

On Thursday, the Conway School Board voted 5-2, with Mark Hounsell and Rebecca Moore in the minority, to hire Andrew Inzer, a former member of the New England Patriots, as the new varsity football coach at Kennett High School. The board elected Inzer to the post despite considerable public sentiment for longtime assistant coach Phil Haynes, another candidate to succeed the late Gary Millen for the top job on the sidelines. Inzer also was unanimously hired by the school board to teach high school social studies.Over 50 people were on hand for the meeting, which centered around the hiring of the coach.On May 22, a football search committee to screen applicants was assembled, including Steve Mello, athletic director; Superintendent Carl Nelson; Kennett Principal Jack Loynd; career and technical director Neal Moylan; current varsity player Ned Goodwin; current coach Chris Bailey; football alum John Eastman; and athletic administrative assistant Mary-Anne Lane. They conducted interviews the first week in June.Nelson said the search committee's first meeting was on May 30, and the recommendation by consensus was reached June 9. Inzer, 26, of Woonsockett, R.I., was the committee's top choice.Paul MacMillan, current principal at Kingswood Regional High and former principal, athletic director and coach at Kennett, hired Haynes as an assistant football coach in 1983 for the high school program. He spoke about his two sons successfully going through the football program at Kennett. He suggested Inzer be hired as a social studies teacher and serve as an assistant coach under Haynes."I would ask that you allow the students to have the same system they've had, this is a team that is grieving," MacMillan said.Senior Joe MacDonald agreed."To have a head coach you need someone you can trust," he said. "You need that bond of trust. Take what Mr. MacMillan said, and have Mr. Inzer be an assistant coach to learn the ropes."Board member Ded Deschenes supported the committee's recommendation."I'd hate to send a message we don't trust the process," she said. "I would hate to send the message out that we would overrun the process. ... When all is said and done, I hope we put this to rest and can concentrate on what's really important education."Hounsell agreed but clarified his position."Simply because there is a process doesn't mean it's the right process," he said. "This process allows for the school board to sit and judge the process as it at least gets this far. My concern is that the suggestion is that anyone of us who has objections might somehow be anti-members of the search committee. ... I believe the search committee was a mistake. There's no sense in forming something to look for something you already have."