Tidwell reinstated: Pioneer coach back at work today
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The end of the suspension comes as a result of a pre-trial diversion agreement between Tidwell and the Shelbyville district attorney’s office. According to the agreement, Tidwell will spend a period of 11 months, 29 days on probation, pay a $500 fine, and undergo anger management counseling.
Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale, who confirmed the end of Tidwell’s suspension Tuesday morning after receiving a letter from Tidwell’s attorney, said the school system’s legal advisors feel the diversion settlement is sufficient to reinstate the first-year Pioneer head coach.
“He’s returning to the classroom, and we left it up to the high school to determine how they would phase him back into his on-the-field duties,” Hale said. “This has been a long process, and it’s worked its way through the system, but this seems to put some closure on the situation.
“It’s a shame, especially for the senior players, that there’s been so much turmoil during their season. Maybe now they can start putting this behind them, and getting back to concentrating on football.”
WCHS principal James Bennett was informed of Hale’s decision to reinstate the Pioneer coach Wednesday morning, and after meeting with Tidwell made the decision to return him to the football field.
“I informed him he would be reinstated as a teacher and the head football coach as of Oct. 23,” Bennett said. “When the Director of Schools issued me a letter saying that he’d been reinstated, that told me what I needed to know.
“This is a new beginning for us. We’ve now got to start over, put everything behind us, and go on. We can’t dwell on what’s happened, and (Tidwell has) got to slowly get back in the groove, and get back acclimated with his coaches and with his kids. We’ve got our last freshman game this week, and two more varsity games, and we have to start now trying to get some stability back into all those programs then working toward getting ready for next year.”
Tidwell, who took over the reins of the Pioneers this season, has been suspended since Sept. 18, when he turned himself in to Shelbyville authorities on a simple assault charge stemming from a halftime incident during the Pioneers’ game on Aug. 30. During his halftime speech to the Pioneers, Tidwell threw a football helmet, inadvertently striking junior fullback Mario Pezzimenti, who required 10 stitches to close a cut on his head.
Tidwell was suspended for one week immediately following the incident, then returned to the team for another week before his subsequent arrest and second suspension.
As part of his diversion agreement, Tidwell had to give a written account of the incident to the district attorney, to be attached to all court documents for public record. He is also required to undergo counseling to determine if he has an anger management problem, and a letter from his counselor must also be submitted.
Although he was originally scheduled to appear in court in Shelbyville next Tuesday, Tidwell said he opted for the diversion agreement to bring the incident to a quicker conclusion.
“I tried to be as patient as could be, considering I caused all this myself,” he said Tuesday. “I had a chance to continue forth with the court date, and some of the people I’ve been in contact with told me there was a good chance this could end up getting dropped. But the 29th would just be the start of it, and it could last several months.
“From my outlook, I’ve got two weeks left to work with these kids this season, and if I can spend that time with them it’s worth it. Also, (the school system) is paying me right now to sit at home, and I don’t want to be sitting at home. I want to be out there working, trying to keep building the program that I said I was going to build, and I’m hoping Friday night will be my first game I coach at Nunley Stadium.”
The Pioneers play host to Clarksville in their final home game of the season Friday at 7:30 p.m.