VALDOSTA, Ga. – The unexpected and now increasingly controversial Tuesday night dismissal of Valdosta High School Wildcats head football coach Alan Rodemaker has left the community in a state of shock.
Word started making its way around Facebook that a protest would be held Thursday, Jan. 30, in front of the Valdosta City Schools Board of Education building on Williams street at 4 p.m.
Within a few minutes, a single girl strolled up. “I’m here because Coach Rod has touched a lot of people,” Ieshia Cooper told Valdosta Today. “I’m one of them. He got a lot of boys doing good things instead of bad stuff. For the board to vote him out I think is wrong. He’s a great person and he didn’t deserve that.”
Two more people showed up, Wesley Veal and his sister Katie Beth Veal.
Both are graduates of VHS and Wesley was a wide receiver who graduated in 2017. He, too, voiced his disappointment about Coach Rod’s firing, and has the lifelong proud memory of being on the team when it won the 2016 championship.
“It was a huge shock to hear,” Wesley said. “I think it’s ridiculous, judging from the successes he’s had and the players counting on him. He cares more about making you into a person ready for life than being a football player.”
His sister Katie Beth, who graduated in 2012 and remembers Coach Rodemaker from when he was a defensive coordinator under Coach Gillespie, echoed these sentiments, saying, “He makes you feel like a family member.”
Nathanial Sanford (in above video), VHS Class of 2022, quietly spoke to VT about his respect for Coach Rodemaker and how he’d made a difference in his life.
VHS Junior Lizzy Eldridge and Senior VSH Wildcats cheerleader Zariah Rockmore held signs. “My brother played under Coach Rod when he was defensive coordinator. In my entire life,” Lizzy said, “I’ve missed maybe six games. In my entire life!”
students began showing up, in pairs, singly, some holding signs, wearing T-shirts, a little shy, looking around for others like them.
The girls began to gather around, talking about their memories of “Coach Rod,” and a group of football players were huddled up together in the parking lot next to the stadium.
VHS Wildcats football players Abel Norwood, his brother Elijah Norwood, Jaheim Bell and Reggie Bell were in the Valdosta Today Facebook Live video talking about why they believed Coach Rod shouldn’t be fired.
All of them said Coach Rodemaker had impacted their lives, a couple said they’d spent more time with him than they had their own parents.
“You can see it on the football players’ faces,” said Sanchina Rose, who was wearing a black T-shirt that read “In Rod We Trust” on the front, and “Go Cats Go!” on the back with a picture of Rodemaker. She and her friends told stories about how Coach Rod had made their senior year special, and how they missed him already because the football players were quiet and sad.
“Usually they’re all loud and now they’re just quiet,” Sanchina said, while her friends all nodded and agreed.
Bless Kelly, a VSH senior, said that after she graduates she won’t come back to see the games as an alumni without “Coach Rod.”
Some football players have said they wouldn’t continue playing without Coach Rodemaker at the helm. The girls said they hadn’t seen Coach Rodemaker since he was fired but they knew he had talked to the team.
“He called the team into the locker room,” one said. “He was crying and told them that no matter who coached them they’re all great athletes and will do well.”
“The whole vibe of the school is low,” another said. “We used to hear all the football players laughing and coming out but now, it’s just quiet.”
Antonio Keuna, a VSU senior who plays on the Blazers football team was one of the last to show up. He played under Rodemaker and said he thought he should show up to be supportive since Rodemaker had made a big impact on his life. “I think it’s crazy,” he said. “I think they should’ve at least done it differently. They (BOE members) obviously don’t know what he’s done for the kids.
In the video below, Antonio cites examples of how Coach Rodemaker had helped him keep his life together.
According to a report from WTXL, Rodemaker has hired and attorney to fight the dismissal. He also joined Steve Nichols Friday morning to discuss his firing on The Morning Drive.
Rodemaker discussed how other coaches are in a state of “flux” since his dismissal. “Things are going really good. I’m not hiring any coaches,” Rodemaker told Steve Nichols. “Regardless of whether we win, our program is in great shape. Tell me when we’ve got a kid with a discipline problem, tell me when our team hasn’t been proud of what our team did when we played on Friday nights…I never promised championships when I took this job. Here’s what I promised, I said your kids are going to act right. You’re going to be proud of how hard they play. That’s the only thing I can control…There are a bunch of other coaches besides Rodemaker who is being affected.”
