Chester rallies behind ousted hoops coach Yarbray
CHESTER >> The support for now-former Chester basketball coach Larry Yarbray is mounting as members of the community gathered at Faith Temple Holy Church Tuesday evening.
The Rev. Dr. Horace Strand, who held a press conference Monday outside of Chester High School, is asking for the support of the Chester community in seeking a number of demands from the Chester Upland School Board.
“We want him to be reinstated. We want some kind of public showing of support for him from within the school where he worked and trained the kids. And we want an apology for the manner in which he was let go,” Strand told about a dozen Chester city residents. “Those are the demands we are making. No matter how unreasonable it may seem to them, it’s reasonable to us.”
Yarbray, the twice-winning state champion coach, discovered Friday that the district would not renew his contract. According to his supporters the school board didn’t not offer a reason why.
“They have not given him any clear understanding,” said Strand. “They just say they want to move in another direction.”
Strand said the community is overly satisfied with Yarbray’s performance in the nine years he’s acted as head coach, citing the academic accomplishments of many of his athletes — more than 80 percent of his players have gotten accepted to higher education.
On Yarbray’s behalf, Strand said the former Chester basketball standout and coach was “distraught,” while offering that if Yarbray had it his way “he’d just let it go and move on.
“We feel it’s our responsibility as a community to let him know that he’s not by himself,” Strand said.
Even interim district Superintendent Dr. Juan Baughn, who released a statement Monday, spoke highly of Yarbray while offering little more of explanation for his dismissal than “the people at the school thought it was time for a change.”
“I appreciate the nine years that Coach Yarbray put in. He did some wonderful things and those things cannot go unappreciated. I wish him all the best,” the statement from Baughn read.
It might have been an odd juxtaposition for Baughn, who in 1974 was the last basketball coach to get fired at Chester High School. Cliff Wilson took the reins in the 1974-75 season and coached 11 years until twotime state champion coach Alonzo Lewis inherited the program over in 1985. Fred Pickett then coached 13 years and retired after winning his third state title in 2008. That’s when Yarbray assumed the role of head coach.
The comments from Athletic Chairman Edward J. Gill in 1974 said the decision to terminate Baughn’s coaching duties were “in the best interest of the whole athletic program” and it was necessary to “make a change.”
Yarbray, 43 years later, hasn’t received much more of an explanation for his dismissal.
Baughn’s interim status at the district has brought the opinion of Strand and other’s that “outsiders” have “come into our community and have trashed almost every leader in that district, either fired, kicked them out or disrespected them.”
He continued that black leaders from Chester like Yarbray aren’t given enough credit for guiding the youth of the community toward knowledge and positivity.
Baughn was the school’s first black varsity coach at the high school, where he led the basketball team three times to the PIAA state championship but failed to bring home the title. After four years he was terminated.
Members of the community were also critical of Baughn’s termination back then, writing to the Daily Times opinion section: “This is indeed tragic that is unmatched not only in Delaware County, but across the state.”
Still in the planning phase, community members aim to put pressure on the school board through positive voices in the community. Former Chester mayor Wendell Butler, who spoke of raising Yarbray like a son, said the right kind of concerned citizens need to be at the forefront.
“Everybody knows we have troubles in this community and we don’t have enough black males of his caliber (stepping up) ... we need more concerned citizens for the right reason standing tall and saying, ‘Let’s do things in decency and in order and in a proper fashion,’” Butler said.
Strand is hosting another press conference, open to the public, outside Chester High School next Tuesday, May 9, at 10 a.m. to rally the public ahead of the next school board meeting.