Green Canyon baseball coach clarifies that leaving team wasn’t his decision

NORTH LOGAN – Kyler Webb wanted to make it clear, especially to his players, why he is no longer coaching baseball at Green Canyon. He had heard that some thought he left the team to take another job, but said that isn’t the case.

Webb said Friday, April 13 was a roller coaster ride. The first-year baseball coach had just learned he was hired as a history teacher at South Cache Middle School. It would be a temporary teaching position filling in for a teacher who was recently arrested, but with the chance at making it permanent later on. Teaching history, Webb said, is what he has long wanted to do.

Soon after the good news, Webb said he was “blindsided” with the bad news. He was told he was being let go as head coach of the Green Canyon baseball team.

“I took that high roller coaster ride into the bottom, miserable pits of the day,” he said.

Webb thought he had his schedule worked out. He said South Cache was willing to work with his baseball schedule, and thought teaching at the middle school wouldn’t affect his coaching. He believed he could do both, but the administration at Green Canyon saw it differently. Athletic Director O’Dell Speth said he felt like it would be too difficult.

“By taking that job he’d be over at South Cache until 2:45 every day,” Speth said. “It would be tough for him to get back here every day to do baseball.”

Webb sent a letter to the players on his team making it clear he was asked to step down.

In terms of wins and losses, Green Canyon wasn’t seeing a lot of success. The team had just one win at the time of the firing. Speth said the decision wasn’t made because of that, but instead because of the teaching job and a difference in coaching philosophy.

“I don’t look a lot at wins-losses,” Speth said. “I look at if the kids are improving at all the different levels. We are very young. We only have on senior on the team. Performances, I do look at that, but win-losses will come. I look at to see if the kids are enjoying what they are doing, if they are improving.”

Speth said the firing wouldn’t have happened mid-season if Webb hadn’t gotten the teaching job.

“We thought things needed to be done,” he said. “I guess my thoughts were I just wanted him to focus on his teaching. Coaching doesn’t pay much. I wanted him to be able to be successful for his family, and I thought that maybe would take the pressure off of him.”

Webb said he has no hard feelings for those who let him go, and no regrets for the way he coached his players. His position at South Cache isn’t guaranteed next year, but he wants to help the students at South Cache who have recently had their own challenges.

“The kids at South Cache have been put into a very difficult situation,” he said, “and we have to make sure their experience the rest of the school year is a very positive thing and build the relationships and trust again.”

Speth said he wishes the best for Webb.

“We love Kyler,” he said. “As a person, he is outstanding. The things he was trying to teach the kids was great.”

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