Soccer coach looking for work...will relocate

Sixty five year old boys soccer coach Ken Cormier resigned his coaching position at Douglas High School last week. During a phone interview yesterday, Cormier said it was for personal reasons and he said it all stemmed from a disagreement with the Douglas Unified School District's central administration.

This forum deals mainly with old timers who for the most part are retired and are playing one sport or another for simply "the love of the game." So, I will not dwell on Ken's battle with the Douglas school district, nor will I discuss the position that both sides are taking. But what we have here is a 65-year-old soccer coach who is a proven winner with four regional titles to his credit and over 30 years of coaching and teaching experience (24 of those years spent in Douglas), who still wants to continue to do the same.

"I love coaching and I love being around the kids," Cormier said. "It's a lot of fun. I coach baseball, too. It doesn't matter what sport it is. I just love doing it and I want to continue. I'm not ready to hang it up." And he's willing to relocate. Ken and his wife,Jennifer, have nine children, five daughters and four sons. The oldest son, Ken Cormier Jr.,joined the Marines in 2008 and is currently serving in Afghanistan. Local sports fans have certainly heard of him. Ken Cormier Jr is one of the top prep cross country runners to come out of the southern Arizona area in quite a while. Cormier, who won two national running titles during his prep days at Douglas High School, received a full-ride scholarship to Arkansas and spent two years as a Razorback before coming down with mononucleosis.

Cormier decided not to return to Arkansas for his junior year and instead signed on the dotted line and joined the Marines. "We are very proud of him," said the senior Cormier. With eight children still at home, Ken Cormier has a lot of work to do if he decides to relocate. If he does make that move, this forum will keep an eye out to see where he lands.

Note: Ken and I went to Eastern Arizona together in the 1960s.