Helmet incident rocks team:Head coach says his actions inexcusable
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In an interview with the Southern Standard sports staff Saturday morning, Tidwell described his actions during the halftime intermission of Friday’s game at Shelbyville — including the incident that led to his being suspended for a week by WCHS administrators.
“I went into the halftime with the purpose of lighting a fire; to get the kids to reach down deep inside, and come out and play as hard as they can,” Tidwell recalled. “In my attempt to light the fire, I don’t want to say I was ‘out of control,’ or upset, because I wasn’t. But I wanted to appear to be in such a way that I got their attention.
“So I go in, and I’m challenging the seniors; it’s gut-check time for the seniors, and I’m questioning some of their toughness. I throw my hat, I throw a helmet off of one of the walls. I chew them out a little bit more, and I grab a helmet and throw it — aiming for the back wall. The helmet comes out of my hand wrong and hits Mario (Pezzimenti) right in the head.
“In 13 years, I’ve never done anything like that. I’d give my right arm to be able to bring that helmet back.”
Tidwell said at the moment he realized what had happened, he and assistant coach Matt Turner turned their attention the junior fullback, who suffered a cut in the incident that later required 10 stitches at a local hospital to close. Upon returning to the field, Tidwell said he informed athletic director Andy Jacobs of what had happened in the locker room. The first-year head coach accompanied Jacobs and principal James Bennett to McMinnville, using the trip to begin a discussion that continued late into the night.
“I called over Mr. Jacobs and explained to him what had happened,” Tidwell said. “He told me to finish the ballgame, and we’d start dealing with it after the ballgame.
“After the game, they decided that if I wanted to ride back with them and discuss the situation then — that night — I could, or I could ride the bus back or ride back with my wife. I felt it was important for me to ride back with them, to begin discussing what happened, and lay it all on the table.”
When the meetings between the Pioneer head coach and his administrators had concluded, the decision was made to suspend Tidwell for the upcoming week. He will not be allowed to practice with the team this week, and won’t be on the sidelines during Friday night’s game against Lincoln County.
Bennett, who informed director of schools Dr. Jerry Hale of the matter and his decision on the suspension Friday night, said he is confident Tidwell’s action was an isolated incident.
“I’m going to support Gerald Tidwell,” Bennett said. “There’s nobody that’s hurting any worse over all this, and I think his intentions for what he’s trying to do with this program so far have been good.
“I just hope when this is over, and this suspension is served, we can put this all behind us and move forward.”
Tidwell, however, said he wasn’t sure whether the administration’s decision was punishment enough.
“They want to move on after the one-game suspension, and I kind of questioned that,” he said. “I’m not sure one game is enough, but that’s the decision they’re going to go with.
“I tell the kids all the time in practice, you’ve got a job to do, and if you don’t do it right, you’re fired. Somebody else comes in and takes your spot. So to me, even though it was unintentional, there’s no way of justifying such an error like that. I’m very fortunate, I guess, that I’ve got an administration like I do.”
While replaying the halftime incident in his mind throughout the second half, Tidwell said he considering tendering his resignation. But after meeting with his players, he felt confident they will stand beside him through this controversy.
“Like I told the kids after the game, I love coaching,” he said. “I want to coach at Warren County as long as Warren County wants me. I don’t want to coach anywhere else, and if I don’t coach at Warren County, I’m not going to coach anywhere else.
“So I told the kids if they felt I needed to move on and resign, to remove myself from the program, I would do that. But if they felt like they wanted to stand behind me, we’d go forward from there.
“I gave the kids a large part of the decision-making, to decide what’s best for them first and what’s best for the program. And their reaction was extremely positive.
“John Morrison, one of the kids I chewed out at halftime, big time, walks up to me and tells me if I leave, he leaves. How can a kid, after six months of knowing me, make a statement like that?”
Tidwell added one of the most important factors regarding his future with the Pioneers will be how the players respond to his leadership upon his return from the suspension.
“If there’s any dissension among the team, we’re not going to go forward,” he said. “But if the kids are willing to go forward, and want to do so with me as their head coach, that’s what we’ll do and I’ll never talk about walking away again.”
And while he expressed his gratitude for the support he’s received from his players, staff and administrators, the Pioneer head coach said he’s also filled with an overwhelming sense of regret over the entire incident.
“The football staff is extremely supportive and behind me, and the kids seem to be extremely supportive and behind me,” he said. “Right now, the only person that doesn’t seem to be supportive and behind me is myself.”