District recommends firing Bellevue coach -- Supporters vowing fight

BELLEVUE, Wash. — The embattled coach of the most successful high school football program in state history is vowing a fight to keep his job, and supporters say they're planning a strategy to join the effort.

On Thursday, the Bellevue School District confirmed to KIRO-7 that it has recommended firing coach Butch Goncharoff for violating a "conflict of interest" policy. A letter from district human resources accuses Goncharoff of accepting payments for years for coaching football camps during the offseason -- in violation of district policy.

It also accuses Goncharoff of being "deliberately deceptive" when questioned by district officials about payments for camps and from boosters, which totaled $420,000 over several years, according to the letter.

Goncharoff was not available to comment regarding the letter, but boosters who organized the football camps Goncharoff coached at Fort Warden, Wash., told KIRO-7 in a statement the charges are "horribly flawed and motivated by political expediency."

Goncharoff's supporters recently revealed emails dating back to 2007, which appear to show clear communication between boosters and officials in the Bellevue district, making it clear Goncharoff was being compensated for coaching the offseason camps.

"Our coach is being held to a super-high standard." said Rob Derider of the Bellevue Wolverine Football Club to a group of supporters Thursday night. "We're not going to stand for that. We're pushing back hard. I can't tell you how hard," he said.

Parents of Bellevue players met in the school's library Thursday night, making a plan to help the coach. Some say the allegations of cheating from a previous WIAA investigation has tainted the entire school.

"I've been at a game with my five-year-old daughter where someone's screaming in my face, 'you're a cheater, you're a cheater,'" said Tami Hansen, a mother of a Bellevue High player.

Hansen pointed out that Goncharoff was cleared of wrongdoing in several allegations made previously, such as funneling players to take classes at the private and pricey Academic Institute.

"I don't know what they're thinking but they're not going to get away with this," Hansen said of the district.  "We're going to win. They're done, game on."

David Tomihiro is a Bellevue teacher who says the accusations set a precedent that teachers find concerning. Tomihiro, a former high school baseball coach, says now he's worried that the same policy could be applied to all Bellevue coaches and teachers who get paid for any camp, lessons or extra tutoring outside of school.

"I know a lot of teachers who are trying to make enough money to like have ends meet who tutor after school," said Tomihiro. "They tutor over the summer. and for (the District) to view that as a conflict of interest? I mean, that is frightening."

The Bellevue School Board could vote on the district's recommendations next Tuesday.

Cox Media Group