A pair of high school basketball head coaches in Long Beach, Calif., announced resignations last month due to what they described as harassment from parents.
In early January, Wilson High School girls basketball head coach Erin Carey told The562 she was stepping down due to “relentless criticism on my integrity and character based on decisions I made within the program.” Assistant coaches DJ Butler and Samantha McComb also resigned from the program during winter break.
On Jan. 25, Millikan High School boys basketball coach Curtis Boyer told The562 he was leaving his role in the wake of parents yelling at players during in-game huddles to not listen to Boyer, as well as challenging him about playing time during games and following him to the team bus.
“The way it’s gotten is that the last few weeks I’ve been stressed, I’m not sleeping, it’s really been getting to me,” Boyer said to the outlet. “I don’t need it — I poured everything into this program, blood, sweat and tears for eight or 10 hours a day.”
Both head coaches led their respective programs to success during their tenure. Carey helped lead Wilson to a CIF-SS Div. 3A championship in 2020, and the team maintained a record over .500 the next two years. Last season, the Bruins went 11-12 and, as of Feb. 4, are 9-13 this year.
According to The562, Boyers in 2022 helped Millikan get its first-ever state playoff win, as the team advanced to the regional semifinals. This season, after two important players transferred, the team is 6-18.
Both former head coaches spoke to NBC Los Angeles over the past week.
“I’m hoping it’s a wake-up call. Just cheer your kid on, just be a parent,” Carey told the outlet.
“You let the coaches coach, and the players play, and just be a parent. It’s not happening anymore,” Boyer said.