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JAMESTOWN — Greeneview head boys' basketball coach Rocky Rockhold was suspended for the rest of the season after Thursday's Greeneview Local School District board meeting.

Rockhold's entire coaching staff resigned at the same meeting: varsity assistant Chris Bailey, junior varsity coach C.J. Tobe and freshman coach Mark Tobe.

Ken Esselstein, an assistant principal at the high school, will serve as the new head coach. Troy Terrill will serve as the junior varsity coach.

"The reason is inappropriate language toward students," Greeneview Superintendent Dr. Valerie Browning said on Friday. She would not comment on whether Rockhold would be asked back next season.

Rockhold, 35, said he was issued a written reprimand for using inappropriate language at halftime of a game Dec. 27 against Miami Trace. Rockhold said he apologized to the player to whom he directed the language, the player's parents and the team.

On Wednesday, Rockhold said he met with the two team captains.

"I knew there was some division in the locker room," he said. "I knew there was some division in attitudes. I was making a very strong attempt to pull them together as a team and to maximize their abilities and maximize their potential."

On Thursday, he was called to a meeting with school administrators.

"It was laid out to me that I needed to resign or be fired," Rockhold said. "I couldn't resign because I felt like I haven't done anything wrong. I feel like their decision is unjust and unfair. I feel like anything that I did was in the best interest of that basketball program."

Greeneview Athletic Director Mark Rinehart said no players quit the program after Rockhold's suspension. No games have been postponed or canceled.

"We're moving forward and continuing on in the season because we feel that's what the kids deserve and that's what the kids want — to play basketball," Rinehart said.

Greeneview's record was 2-8 prior to Rockhold's suspension.

Rockhold is a 1990 Greeneview graduate and is employed by the Montgomery County Job Center.

He is in his eighth season as the Rams' head coach and has a 108-58 record. His teams have won four Ohio Heritage Conference titles and have finished as a Division III district runner-up four times. He was named the 2004 Springfield News-Sun All-Area Coach of the Year.

C

ontact this reporter at (937) 328-0366 or bplasters@coxohio.com.