They may not be able to get Steve Laidlaw his job back as Oxford’s varsity boys basketball coach, but a whole bunch of his backers, many of whom are former players, are using Facebook.com to voice their support for him and their anger at the school administration for firing him.
‘As a former player under coach, I am appalled at his decision,? wrote 2004 OHS grad Ryan Stull, who played for Laidlaw his junior and senior years. ‘Coach Laidlaw worked his butt off trying to build a basketball program in Oxford. Year-round he put just as much time into coaching basketball as he did his full time job, maybe even more.?
Last week, Stull formed a group on Facebook entitled, ‘Coach Laidlaw was unfairly dismissed.?
‘If you feel like I do, then you should join this group to show your support for Coach Laidlaw because his firing was uncalled for and certainly unjust,? he wrote.
‘If nothing else, I hope he can see we’re behind him,? Stull told this reporter. ‘I know I learned a lot from him.?
As of Tuesday, 32 messages supporting Laidlaw and criticizing the school administration, particularly Athletic Director Pat Ball, had been posted on-line (see shaded box right for samples).
In addition to on-line postings, numerous e-mails and letters have been sent to the board of education and school administration on Laidlaw’s behalf, plus letters to the editor in this newspaper (see page 6).
‘It’s disappointing (Laidlaw was fired) because I don’t think they’re going to find anyone who’s as committed, loyal and dedicated as he is,? said former player Joe Fedorinchik, a 2004 OHS grad who’s spent the last five years being an assistant coach on the freshman and junior varsity basketball teams.
‘I think he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. He sacrifices time with his family to be with the team,? said OHS senior Anthony Esparsa, who just finished playing for Laidlaw this past season. ‘I just think that Pat Ball, our athletic director, doesn’t know what he’s doing.?
‘It’s so frustrating to see this happen because I know that Coach Laidlaw does right for that program,? said former player Billy Keenist, a 2004 OHS graduate. ‘I know he’s done everything he can for that program.?
Talking with some of Laidlaw’s former players it’s easy to see why he’s so beloved and respected.
‘I talk to Coach Laidlaw probably three times a month and I don’t talk to some of my closest friends that much,? said Keenist, who now attends Adrian College. ‘He calls me up at school to check in, see how my grades are going, see how football’s going, see how I’m doing with life. That’s special because not a lot of coaches do that, but he cares about his players.?
‘He’ll call, he’ll text, he’ll e-mail with any of his former players to see how their grades are, how their families are. That’s just how he is,? Fedorinchik said. ‘It’s like his players are his second family. I think that’s something that Oxford’s definitely going to miss.?
‘He actually cared about the development of not only the players as a team, but as people, student athletes. To this day, he still calls me to check up on how college is going,? said former player Brad Kubina, a 2005 OHS graduate who now attends Ferris State University. ‘He preached the whole aspect of becoming a better person, not just a player or student, but a person in the community.?
‘He’s really big on grades,? Esparsa said. ‘He’s pretty much trying to prepare us for the rest of our lives.?
Again and again words like passionate, great motivator and strong leader kept popping up when former players talked about Laidlaw’s coaching abilities.
‘He’s an aggressive coach,? Stull said. ‘He wants to get the best out of you. He wants to get every ounce out of you.?
‘He definitely worked just as hard as the players did, Kubina said. ‘He demanded 100 percent effort. That was pretty easy to give considering he gave just as much effort as you did.?
‘That’s why you always see him screaming his head off at games,? Esparsa said. ‘He pushes us to play to the best of our abilities.?
Judging by what his players had to say, it’s clear Oxford wouldn’t have had much of a basketball program in recent years if not for Laidlaw’s hard work, commitment and creation of youth basketball camps to create future generations of players.
‘Coach Laidlaw’s goal was to build an entire program, not just a varsity team,? Kubina said.
‘He stepped in when no one else really would,? Esparsa said.
‘I really believed in what he was doing,? Stull said. ‘I think he was doing it for all the right reasons.?
Some of the players acknowledged that Oxford isn’t rich in basketball talent like some other schools, but Laidlaw always got the most out of his teams.
‘I guarantee he’s done the best with what he’s had every year,? Fedorinchik said. ‘That doesn’t always translate into wins and losses.?
‘Sure, we’d like to win a few more games, but we’ve never had a team underachieve. We always have the hardest working teams in the league,? Fedorinchik noted.
‘Maybe Oxford doesn’t have the basketball talent that some other schools do and that’s fine,? Kubina said. ‘But Coach Laidlaw busts his butt ever year and to see this happen was a huge shock.?
‘Coach Laidlaw is a good man and a good person and I hope he understands how much he means to all his former players.?

Laurels for Laidlaw*
‘Never have I seen a coach who wanted a program to succeed more and to also see his players succeed not only on the basketball court, but in life. COACH Laidlaw pushed all of his players to be the best that they can be day in and day out . . . Sure, the program has had its ups and downs, I was a part of a great team and I was a part of a mediocre team, but never was there a day when Coach Laidlaw wanted to throw in the towel . . . ever.? ? Brandon Dugan, 2007 OHS grad
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‘I GUARANTEE they will not find another coach like Laidlaw. The most frustrating thing is that the next coach is inheriting a good crop of players and will probably do great things with them. However, I urge you to not be fooled by his success for it is all a result of what Laidlaw began here; unfortunately another person is gonna finish it.? ? Tim Ketelhut, 2006 OHS grad
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‘I am a parent of basketball players at the younger level and have watched coach (Laidlaw) as he has put blood sweat and tears into trying to make Oxford basketball a stronger program. The wins may not be there yet but they are sure to come through the efforts of the youth program coach started approx 5-6 years ago, these kids are just reaching high school and are much better young men because of coach. There is NO coach in any area that puts in more time than coach does in helping devlop these youg men into better athletes, students and young men . . . I as a parent feel lucky to have had coach as an influence in my childrens life.? ? Kyle James Williams

Darts for A.D. Ball*
‘I can not begin to tell you how much I think Pat Ball is a JOKE!! He has been nothing but bad for not only Oxford athletics, but for Oxford High period. It is beyond disappointing that Steve Laidlaw was dismissed before that mistake of an AD.? ? Bryan Mattack, 2004 OHS grad
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‘To the school administration, you have so unnecessarily and recklessly squandered a resource that has positively impacted so many young people.? ? Alan Sorenson
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‘Until this past week, I (thought) Pat’s biggest mistake was not letting the students show team spirit. When I was playing I would have loved to have had the student body support that was offered to the teams that I saw play while Coach Laidlaw was there. It could have been so much more if Pat would have allowed ? kids to be kids?. With Pat’s latest mistake, its clear to me that what is best for Oxford basketball is not what is important to Pat.? ? Brydon Stull

*Quotes taken from the Facebook page entitled ‘Coach Laidlaw was unfairly dismissed.?