On October 24, Elaine Donald abruptly announced her resignation as volleyball coach after two and a half years working at Calabasas.
“This message may come as a shock to many of you,” Donald wrote in an email to her team last Tuesday night, “but… I will no longer be the head of program at Calabasas High School. Effective immediately.”
Although unsure as to the reasoning behind Donald’s resignation, athletic director Thomas Cassidy offered his best wishes to her on behalf of the entire athletic faculty.
“[Why she resigned] would be a question for her, but as an athletic department we do thank her for all her time and effort running our volleyball programs and appreciate everything she put in and wish her the best of luck moving forward,” said Cassidy.
While the shock of the resignation reverberated through both the boys and girls program, the position is expected to be filled in a timely manner. Donald finished the year with the girls team, who went 0-10 in Marmonte League play and only won five sets.
“There will definitely be a coach hired before the boys season. The job will be posted for a couple of weeks and then we will conduct a thorough interview process,” said Cassidy. “It is absolutely a priority for our athletic department to find a proper coach for the boys that will allow them to have a great season.”
The interview process will be conducted following the end of the job posting next week.
“The goal is to hopefully name a new head of program before Thanksgiving break. From there, it will be how fast the coaches get cleared for the volleyball teams to head back on the court,” said Cassidy.
The Coyotes boys varsity team has performed well over the last two seasons, maintaining a 15-7 record in Marmonte League Play. It will be an intriguing storyline to monitor if the chemistry and cohesion of the boys team will sustain in the absence of Coach Donald.
The Courier was able to secure interviews with both a male and female athlete from the volleyball program for comment on Donald’s departure. The interviewees chose to remain anonymous.
“I will miss the way she made me feel valued as a player and the constant constructive criticism that brought out the best in me,” said the female athlete.
“Coach Elaine genuinely cared about myself and the rest of the team. She put in the extra effort necessary to bring the team together as a family,” said the male athlete.
While Coach Donald won’t be seen on the court anytime soon, she will remain on campus fulfilling her duties as a campus aid.
Neither Mrs. Donald nor Principal Wutkee were available for comment at this time.
