A first-year head coach of a Florida high school baseball team has been fired from his role after video surfaced showing him give a profanity-filled motivation speech after they won their first state championship in almost three decades.
In June 2019, the Seminole High School athletes took home the trophy for the first time since 1992 but Principal Jordan Rodriguez removed Coach Kenne Brown earlier this month after the district became aware of cell phone footage showing him swear seven times.
‘The whole [expletive] state,’ Brown says to the bus full of boys on the drive back. ‘We got this motherf**ker right here. No one else has it. It’s f**king ours.
‘You guys showed up, you f**king played the game, you played it right, you never f**king panicked.’
Coach Kenne Brown was fired this month after the school district became aware of cell phone footage showing him swear seven times in a post-game speech. In June 2019, the Seminole High School baseball team won the state championship for the first time since 1992
During the emotional speech which last 25 seconds and contains a total of 42 words, Brown also got in trouble for his reference to star pitcher Charlie McDaniel having ‘type 1 f**king diabetes’.
Brown learned the video existed and reported his mistake to the school, a source told Channel 9.
A district spokesperson said Brown was fired as head coach because of past precedent. The spokesperson did not say what that precedent was.
He learned the news in a letter.
‘I am appalled with and extremely concerned about the abundance of profanity that you used with the students that you were responsible for supervising and leading,’ Seminole County Public Schools Superintendent Mr. Walt Griffin wrote.
‘Additionally I am likewise concerned that you announced the personal health information of one of your baseball players that was on the bus when you went on the above profanity-ridden tirade.’
‘You guys showed up, you f**king played the game, you played it right, you never f**king panicked,’ he praises them
Brown was also suspended for five days without pay in his teacher role.
The former coach apologized for his actions but said it was not representative of him entirely.
‘I’m sorry for the pain that has been inflicted upon so many people because of my language,’ said Brown,’ Brown said in a statement to Fox 35. ‘They just assumed that 25 seconds of this video defined everything about me as a man, as a coach, as a leader and it doesn’t.’
Parents with children on the team agreed.
One said the action was ‘excessive’. ‘I think he was just in the spirit, I would say,’ Lillia Ramos added to ABC 9.
Cara Collins Glazar, who has three sons on the team, said: ‘He is so much more than a few seconds of cursing. We feel like it’s been a crime. It is so unfortunate. It’s heartbreaking.’
By Tuesday morning a Change.org petition had 13,647 signatures of the 15,000 needed to help get him reinstated
A former student has now started a petition to get him reinstated as head coach.
By Tuesday morning it had 13,647 signatures of the 15,000 needed.
‘Coach Brown has been fired because of his excitement that he could not contain…… I can only imagine how he felt to win a State Championship his first year coaching at Seminole High School,’ Dr. Viola Posley said on the Change.org petition.
Dr. Viola Posley said: ‘I had Coaches that really cared. Sometimes their appropriate language fell short when it came to motivating us or when it came to winning’
‘During my 4 years in high school I ran track. I was not a track star but I was on a winning track team. Yes we won State! During that time I had amazing teammates and I had Coaches that really cared. Sometimes their appropriate language fell short when it came to motivating us or when it came to winning. Even as a student I understood that.’
The Alumni who is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, added: ‘I understand Hippa Violations….This is not one…..Mr. Brown didn’t have to announce Charlie’s health condition….Everyone on the team already knew Charlie had diabetes…as well as everyone who knows him at school. Clearly he was using his winning pitcher as an example that anyone can overcome any obstacle if they want it bad enough! Something that all of our kids needs!’
Parents are planning to speak out about the matter at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
‘I don’t know if there’s any way I can ever thank everyone,’ Brown added. ‘It’s very humbling.’