Every coach knows their job can disappear at a moments notice.
One coach recently found out his opportunity to lead a program had been taken away by reading about it.
On October 13, Oberlin City Schools in Ohio confirmed to The Morning Journal in Lorain that it was searching for a new head football coach to replace Rob Oursler.
However, no one from the district had informed Oursler, so imagine his surprise when he sees an article that leads with the headline "Oberlin looks for new football coach..."
He responded through The Morning Journal on October 14.
"I had every intention of continuing to coach football at Oberlin City Schools," Oursler shared with the outlet. "I was disappointed to learn through a public article that I would be replaced, especially since no one from the district had a direct conversation with me or provided an explanation regarding the decision."
Oberlin athletic director Julian Acosta-Gorman apologized publicly and shuoldered the blame for the disappointing manner in which the situation was handled.
"I acknowledge that communication regarding this situation fell short of what Coach Oursler deserved and I take full responsibility for that," Acosta-Gorman said. "As I have expressed to him personally, I sincerely apologized for how it was handled. There is no excuse for the breakdown in communication."
"I have a great deal of respect for coach Oursler and appreciate his dedication to our student-athletes and Oberlin Athletics. I remain committed to learning from this and ensuring better communication moving forward."
Oursler took over the Phoenix after serving as an assistant to Kenny Washington, who left the program after two seasons. The Morning Journal reports Oursler is the third Oberlin coach to leave after one season, and the opening will be the district's fifth head coaching search since 2021.
This fall, there was no season to coach. In August, Oberlin canceled its 2026 varsity schedule two weeks before its opener against Wickliffe. Just fourteen students attended a July 29 interest meeting, and only six to eight players reported when mandatory camp opened on August 3. The district has said it needs at least 17 players to field a team safely, and its varsity rosters ranged from 17 to 22 over the previous five seasons.
In its October 13 story, The Morning Journal reported that the administration is "fully committed" to getting an 11-man team back on the field and does not plan to move to eight-man football. The district has said its goal is to return in 2027.
Whoever takes this job will be asked to rebuild a roster almost from scratch at a school of roughly 200 students. That coach will spend the winter and spring in hallways and living rooms, convincing kids and parents that Oberlin football is worth their time. The first thing a good candidate will ask is how the last coach (or perhaps last several coaches in this case with the high rate of turnover) was supported and treated.
Acosta-Gorman owning it, by name and on the record, counts for something. Plenty of administrators would have hidden behind the popular talking point of "personnel matters," or that is really wasn't important since the school didn't actually play a season this fall.
Still, the expectation here isn't complicated. The coach hears it first, face to face, before the posting goes up and before anyone talks to the paper. Coaches are adults that should be able to handle hard news. What sticks with them, and with the kids who played for them, is how they were treated, while also hearing it secondhand.
What many will find even more surprising here is that despite how it was handled, Oursler plans to continue to coach other sports at the school, which includes holding onto his position coaching basketball.
"My passion for coaching and developing student-athletes has not changed," Oursler said. "I remain committed to the other programs I coach at Oberlin City Schools and will continue to support those athletes and their development. I am proud of the time and effort I have invested in coaching and I will continue to stand by my values I believe are important both on and off the field."
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.