CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The one time head football coach at Nitro High School and West Virginia University Institute of Technology is looking for a second chance in Kanawha County.
Coach Scott Tinsley, who lives in St. Albans, went before the Kanawha County Board of Education Thursday evening to both hopefully get answers and get permission to be a volunteer coach for the football team at George Washington High School.
Tinsley said he was recently denied the opportunity at George Washington.
“The principal was told that I couldn’t volunteer and we weren’t given any reasons,” said Tinsley.
Tinsley, who lost his head football coaching position at WVU-Tech last year when the football program was dropped, is currently the head golf coach for the Golden Bears.
To fill the football void in his life, Tinsley has been volunteering his time at local schools. Last year he was a volunteer coach at Hayes Middle School and this year he wanted to volunteer at George Washington, that is until he was told he couldn’t. Tinsley is in the dark as to why.
“No one has ever said to me this is why you can’t,” he said. “Rumors, but nobody has said officially this is why.”
Tinsley created a name for himself when he coached football for 12 years at Nitro High School. During that period, he compiled a 51-20 record with the Wildcats and a State Championship in 1998. He left Nitro in 2008 to take the head football coaching job at WVU-Tech. It was shortly after that move when he said he was first told he couldn’t volunteer at area schools.
Tinsley came to Thursday’s meeting with several written letters from local residents supporting him as a possible volunteer coach at George Washington. A parent at the school also came with several more letters in support of Tinsley and addressed the board as well.
Tinsley said all he wants to do is help out.
“I am the golf coach at West Virginia Tech, so I have a job,” he said. “But I like football and I want to help in football and just volunteer and help these kids.”
Tinsley asked board members for a second chance to earn their respect. He also asked that the board take a vote on whether to allow him the opportunity to volunteer.
The possible vote was going to be brought to the attention of Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ron Duerring so it could be placed on the next meetings agenda.