Two Tennessee high school girls basketball teams attempted to tank the same game over the weekend, and they've been paying for it all week.
Riverdale and Smyrna High Schools are both in Rutherford County. On Wednesday, the county director of schools, Don Odom, announced that both coaches are suspended for the entire 2015-2016 season, without pay.
"Good athletic coaches possess skills that maximize the players' skills, strategize winning game plans, instill self-discipline, and impart the value of teamwork to reach a common goal," he wrote in a press release.
The attempt to tank was blatantly obvious, with Riverdale players intentionally missing free throws and Smyrna players trying to score on the wrong basket. The referee halted the game to speak with the coaches, telling them that they would not be allowed to make a mockery of the game. He reported the incident to the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) as soon as it ended.
"Players also learn skills that build integrity and character, primarily by how their coach models before them. In these last two areas, we failed last Saturday evening," Odom said.At least one of the coaches is actually out for good, as Odom added that the Smyrna principal has already decided to not bring back coach Shawn Middleton.
This comes two days after the TSSAA ejected both teams for the state tournament, fined them each $1,500, and put them on probation for the 2015-2016 school year.
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