MARTINSBURG, W.Va – Spring Mills boys basketball players, parents and supporters gathered at Monday’s meeting of the Berkeley County Board of Education to appeal for a resolution to the ongoing administrative leave of head coach Luke Samples.
Samples was placed on leave on February 3, two days after Spring Mills suffered its first loss of the season to Morgantown in the finals of the Battle for the Springhouse at the Greenbrier.
With a month past since Samples was placed on leave, parent Kista Opoku-Achampong expressed concerns over a lack of communication about the coach’s status.
“When concerns are raised by families, team members or the community, silence is not an answer. Since our head coach was placed on administrative leave with pay on February 3, parents, players and community members have requested to meet with members of the board and have repeatedly been met with silence,” she said.
Three Cardinal seniors, Max Anderson, Chayse Shipley, and Caleb Thomas, stepped up to speak in support of Samples’ reinstatement as head coach. Anderson emotionally described the impact he has seen Samples make at Spring Mills.
“He has instilled what it takes to get there: hard work, being disciplined and dedication. He has not only changed me for the better, he’s also changed the basketball program in the school. He’s one of the main driving forces that helped change the culture of Spring Mills High School,” Anderson said.
In addition to the three players who addressed the board in support of Samples, another member of the Cardinal program spoke on the head coach’s behalf. Assistant coach Andrew Edmondson expressed similar sentiment in regard to Samples’ relationships with his players.
11 members of the Spring Mills community spoke in support of boys basketball coach Luke Samples at tonight’s county BOE meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Ryan Saxe expressed empathy for those desiring a resolution but could not provide further comment. @MetroNewsSports #wvprepbb
— Daniel Woods (@DWoodsOnAir) March 4, 2025
“I’ve also been impressed with the relationships he’s clearly built with the players. Even though he’s clearly the adult authority figure in the relationships, they feel comfortable coming to him with problems, seeking advice and confiding in him but he has no problem addressing misbehavior or issuing consequences,” he said.
Michael Pavlik, a former pre-K teacher at Spring Mills who volunteers as the public address announcer for the Cardinals’ home games, placed focus on his experiences with Samples outside of basketball.
“I’m impressed by the instructional opportunities the coach seizes to teach both basketball and life. This past summer I had a by-chance encounter with Coach, and I was excited to discuss the upcoming season, but he wanted to express his excitement about the academic progress of some of his players,” Pavlik said.
Spring Mills currently sits atop the MetroNews Boys Basketball Power Rankings and received the top seed in the Class AAAA, Region II tournament. Caleb Thomas’ mother, Stacia Fromm, described her concerns for how the team has been affected by Samples’ absence, particularly ahead of the postseason.
“His absence is felt deeply by the players who look up to him and rely on his guidance,” Fromm said, “With the state championship on the horizon, let me tell you, these boys work so hard, my son has worked so hard for four years, but with the championship on the horizon, the timing of this decision could not be more damaging.”
A total of 11 people spoke in support of Samples during the public comment period.
In regard to the statements made during the meeting, Berkeley County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ryan Saxe said, “ I empathize with our families. I understand their desire to have this resolved but unfortunately, I can’t comment any further at this time.”
Saxe confirmed that there has been no change in Samples’ status.