Leiss won't coach Vikings in postseason
MARK NELKE | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 3 months AGO
Mark Nelke covers high school and North Idaho College sports, University of Idaho football and other local/regional sports as a writer, photographer, paginator and editor at the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has been at The Press since 1998 and sports editor since 2002. Before that, Mark was the one-man sports staff for 16 years at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint. Earlier, he was sports editor for student newspapers at Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University. Mark enjoys the NCAA men's basketball tournament and wiener dogs — and not necessarily in that order. | February 12, 2013 8:00 PM
Kent Leiss, who last week rescinded his resignation as Coeur d'Alene High boys basketball coach, will not coach the Vikings the rest of the season.
Leiss resigned Feb. 1 after parents complained of verbal abuse of the players by Leiss.
Leiss said at the time he was led to believe that resigning was his only option, but later decided he wanted to clear his name - as well as get his job back.
Leiss met with Coeur d'Alene School District members Monday. He said he was told the school district will begin an investigation into the allegations of abuse, and was told they plan to have the investigation completed by the next school board meeting March 4 - two days after the conclusion of the state boys basketball tournament.
Interim coach Darren Taylor, who joined the program this season as a varsity assistant, is 2-1 since taking over for Leiss. Coeur d'Alene is 12-8 and will be the No. 3 seed when the 5A Region 1 tournament begins Friday at Lake City.
Leiss, who is on paid administrative leave as basketball coach through the end of the season, said he hopes to eventually coach the Vikings again. He's OK with not coaching them again this year.
"I don't necessarily think it's fair to my team (for me) to come waltzing in two days before districts," Leiss said. "Darren will do just fine, and I don't think they need the added distraction."
Leiss, 49, is in his 10th season as Coeur d'Alene coach, and 24th season overall as a high school basketball coach. He is 140-91 as Viking coach.
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