Friday, May 6, 2005 | 11:05 a.m.
Palo Verde High School baseball coach Mike Besser has been abruptly pulled from the position and neither he nor school officials would discuss why the action was taken.
Reached by telephone this morning, Besser confirmed that he had been removed from the coaching job. He said he continues to teach physical education at Palo Verde.
He declined to comment on the reason for his removal.
"Right now I have no comment regarding that situation," Besser said.
Clark County School District officials, including Palo Verde Principal Paul Oisboid, Athletic Director Bill Garis and Sue DiFrancesco, assistant superintendent for the northwest region, declined comment, citing personnel confidentiality.
Besser has been coaching at Palo Verde, with his younger brother Artie as an assistant, since 1999. Artie Besser has been named the interim head coach of the baseball team, said Darwin Rost, Palo Verde's athletic director.
Mike Besser was still Palo Verde's coach as recently as Tuesday evening, when the Panthers had a 6-5 loss to Centennial. Palo Verde's final regular-season game is tonight, hosting Mojave High School.
The Panthers (13-6 overall, 6-3 Northwest Division) have already made the playoffs.
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