Burton Resigns as BH Football coach
Well, I did not expect to see this one.
I read in this morning's South Bend Tribune that Benton Harbor football coach Maurice Burton resigned as the Benton Harbor football coach "Burton resigns as Tigers' coach"
In the article Burton said that former football coach and current Benton Harbor athletic director Larry Featherstone did not tell him to step down.
However, I've learned that Burton was given a "resign or be fired" ultimatum by some members of the Benton Harbor Board of Education.
It's been a rough few years for the Tigers football program, the Tigers have not had a winning regular season since 1989, the Tigers were 0-9 each of the last two years under Maurice Burton. Larry Featherstone spent 6 years as football coach, posting a 17-37 record before being dismissed as football coach under Athletic Director James Rutter.
Rutter selected Burton late in the school year in 2007, there was a lot of excitment in the Benton Harbor community. Rutter expected the stands at Filstrup Field to be packed every week and he fully expected the Tigers to compete. Here's the proof, this was recorded by WSJM back in April of 2007 during a public interview with the leading candidates for the BH football job.
Then Benton Harbor Athletic Director James Rutter http://wsjmsports.com/blogs/kickoff/ruttergetbeat.mp3
There was little doubt that Rutter wanted the Tigers to win.. who wouldn't but, Rutter's actions spoke more than the words he used. Shortly after Burton was hired as football coach, Rutter resigned as athletic director and took a position in Lansing. Leaving Benton Harbor without an athletic director for the summer. Part of the summer included football training camp, a camp that didn't have a lot of real workouts because the lack of a trainer, something the athletic director would have taken care of... if they had one.
Outgoing football coach Larry Featherstone was hired as AD shortly after school started, Featherstone learned on the job, getting some help from the AD's at St. Joe and Lakeshore. Featherstone has left a mark as an outstanding athletic director. Unfortunately some predicted that this situation was expected. How could Featherstone allow his replacement to continue coaching after his falling short of what Featherstone accomplished.
It's unfortunate for Burton and for Benton Harbor, they didn't have the wins on the field, but they won for playing the games, against the powerhouse teams such as St. Joe, Lakeshore, and Jackson Lumen Christi. They didn't quit.
Well a new coach will be coming. Burton will still remain a state trooper and also the track coach at Benton Harbor.
Burton is the second local coach to step down as football coach in the past few weeks, Mattawan's Doug Paran resigned as head coach after a 1-8 season.
