Findley out as Pines coach

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, July 16, 2002 | 9:28 a.m.

When his first-year Desert Pines squad went 0-7 in the fall of 1999, Jaguars coach Gary Findley didn't panic.

Instead he looked to the future, vowing that by the time his freshmen were seniors, they would compete for a state championship. Back-to-back eight-win seasons followed, and the Jaguars appeared poised for a title run in 2002.

But if Desert Pines challenges for the state's biggest prize this year, it appears Findley will not be around to witness it. In a sudden turn, he has not only been removed as football coach, but transferred out of the school altogether, and replaced by assistant Leon Evans.

"We felt like a coaching change was in the best interest of the program, so we made it," said Roger Jacks, who took over as Desert Pines' principal this summer. "We made a decision to go with Leon Evans, and we plan on supporting that decision."

Findley says he was blindsided by the move and claims he hasn't received an explanation for his dismissal as coach or impending teaching transfer to Valley High.

"It's been as tough a week as I've ever had in my life," Findley said. "It took several days to get over the shock, gather my wits about myself and understand what rights I have.

"There are some issues of due process that the (Clark County School) District did not afford me, even to know what the grounds were for the dismissal."

Findley said the only detail he received about his removal was it was "based on a parent's complaint that I have not been made aware of."

Jacks declined to comment on the reasons for Findley's removal, saying only it was "under review at the School District level."

"Coach Findley has done a good job with the Desert Pines program," Jacks said. "He's the guy who was hired to start the program, and in three years he brought it to a very respectable level in terms of win-loss. It's just that at this time, to take the program where it needs to go, we needed to make a coaching change."

Findley, a social studies teacher, said he has contacted his union representative, and is deciding whether to challenge his dismissal as coach and transfer.

The 52-year-old Findley came to Desert Pines in 1999 after serving as an assistant at Cheyenne and head coach at Pahrump Valley. He coached the Jaguars to a 16-13 record in three seasons, taking them to the second round of the 4A Sunrise Region playoffs in 2000 and 2001.

Evans, Findley's top assistant and defensive coordinator, has also been at the school since it opened in 1999. He has been designated as the interim coach, though school administrators say they plan on him coaching at least through the coming season.

The 31-year-old Evans said he will try to make the best of a tough situation.

"I'm going to approach this as if it's still (Findley's) operation, and I'll try to keep the ship together," said Evans, a member of Rancho's 1988 state title team. "We feel we can be just as successful, but we won't have our leader out there."

The Jaguars return several key players, including running back Cornell Johnson, one of Nevada's top college prospects. Johnson said he and his teammates are still coming to grips with the coaching change.

"Coach Findley was like a father to me. Now that he's gone, a part of me is gone," Johnson said.