From The Greeley Tribune: The dispute in Eaton between the Hall of Fame high school baseball coach and the school’s administration has been messy since it began.

We’re sorry to say, it became no cleaner when the school’s coach was finally dismissed.

Jim Danley, who has coached the Eaton Reds for 44 seasons, found out this month he wouldn’t have the chance to return next year when a friend called to tell him about a job posting for the baseball coach position. No one from the school district ever called Danley to inform him of the decision. In fact, while accounts differ slightly, it appears Danley representatives and officials in the school district were in negotiations to resolve the dispute and bring the coach back when administration officials broke off contact without explanation.

All this comes after Eaton school board members and administrators, responding to complaints from some parents, wantonly violated Colorado’s open meetings laws to arrange plans for Danley’s ouster in secret.

We’re not prepared to weigh in on whether Danley should have retained his job. That’s a decision for the Eaton community. That said, it’s disappointing to see how poorly the school district has handled the situation. From meeting in secret to bungling the discussions with Danley, the school board and administration could publish a manual for other districts on what not to do when questions come up about a legendary coach.

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