John Kitna Resigns at Lincoln High

I hate to see John Kitna Leave the area but that Man poured his heart and soul in that community and school. You could only do so much before sooner or later things begin to take its toll. I wish there was was more support for him and his staff. Hopefully they will be able to bring someone to keep things rolling.

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RoadDawg55

I don't really buy it. Kitna knew what he was getting into. He knew the challenges at Lincoln. He knew that there wasn't going to be money for assistants, etc. It's not there at any Tacoma Public School.

I don't get how he couldn't keep it going. He had his son at QB for two more years and it wa becoming the destination spot for Tacoma area football players that didn't attend Bellarmine.

He did a ton for Lincoln, but he should be honest about leaving. Enough with the bullshit about The Lord telling him to take the new job in Texas. Tell the truth that it pays more, it has better support, and that it's better for his son to play in Texas. Not to mention it's a higher level down there and he wants a new challenge.

Tequilla

Waxahachie is normally a solid program in the DFW area ... I can't really blame anybody for taking a job like that. Better competition, better pay, better future prospects. And when talking about a son playing QB, far better for his prospects going forward.

IMO, there's just not a comparison between Texas HS football and Washington HS football. In Washington, there's a lot of men amongst boys that you see. Not the case in Texas.

RoadDawg55

Waxahachie is normally a solid program in the DFW area ... I can't really blame anybody for taking a job like that. Better competition, better pay, better future prospects. And when talking about a son playing QB, far better for his prospects going forward.

IMO, there's just not a comparison between Texas HS football and Washington HS football. In Washington, there's a lot of men amongst boys that you see. Not the case in Texas.

That's pretty much what I posted.

JamesChristianson

@RoadDawg55‌ Jon Kitna said the following. Tell us where he is lying or being dishonest? You said that he did NOT come clean about more pay. He IS SAYING there's more pay in Texas. "Sustainable" isn't the word "money", but that's what he actually means...financially supporting the coaches to sustain and keep them. Please tell us which one of these statements is a lie and how do you know? Thanks.

(1) “The dream would be to stay here, the comfortable thing would have been to stay here, the ideal thing would have been to stay here..."

(2) “It’s really hard to ask coaches to put in 25-30 hours a week after they work a 40-hour-a-week job,”

(3) "If you just want to show up for practice, OK, we’ll go through our two-hour practice and show up on Friday...We would be mediocre...I can’t stand average. I want to be able to compete at the highest level. I just don’t think we could sustain it as is, as it is currently constructed.”

(4) “If it was sustainable, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,”

(5) “Jordan (son/QB) was very involved in this decision. He had the most to give up. He’s brothers with these guys. … It’s a tough deal. I wish it was one year later..."

(6) “I wish I could stay here forever. But it’s not the reality...We invested a lot of time and energy and resources into these three years and it was wildly successful beyond anybody’s beliefs and dreams..."

And what if you're right...what if he did make a mistake and underestimated the challenge? What's so wrong about him changing his mind and his career? And isn't it a noble thing that he's taking folks with him and being loyal to them and helping someone else reap the benefits of his promotion?

RoadDawg55

@RoadDawg55‌ Jon Kitna said the following. Tell us where he is lying or being dishonest? You said that he did NOT come clean about more pay. He IS SAYING there's more pay in Texas. "Sustainable" isn't the word "money", but that's what he actually means...financially supporting the coaches to sustain and keep them. Please tell us which one of these statements is a lie and how do you know? Thanks.

(1) “The dream would be to stay here, the comfortable thing would have been to stay here, the ideal thing would have been to stay here..."

(2) “It’s really hard to ask coaches to put in 25-30 hours a week after they work a 40-hour-a-week job,”

(3) "If you just want to show up for practice, OK, we’ll go through our two-hour practice and show up on Friday...We would be mediocre...I can’t stand average. I want to be able to compete at the highest level. I just don’t think we could sustain it as is, as it is currently constructed.”

(4) “If it was sustainable, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,”

(5) “Jordan (son/QB) was very involved in this decision. He had the most to give up. He’s brothers with these guys. … It’s a tough deal. I wish it was one year later..."

(6) “I wish I could stay here forever. But it’s not the reality...We invested a lot of time and energy and resources into these three years and it was wildly successful beyond anybody’s beliefs and dreams..."

And what if you're right...what if he did make a mistake and underestimated the challenge? What's so wrong about him changing his mind and his career? And isn't it a noble thing that he's taking folks with him and being loyal to them and helping someone else reap the benefits of his promotion?

There is nothing wrong with Kitna changing his mind and choosing to advance his career. It's a great opportunity for his assistants to advance their careers as well. I am curious if the assistants will now get paid enough that they won't have to work other jobs?

I am also curious why assistant salaries is now an issue. Kitna had to donate a lot of money to get new uniforms and a weight room. He knows Lincoln has no money and is a run down school. Even the schools with money, such as Bellarmine, are paying the assistants peanuts. Only the top assistants get paid anything at all. My cousin is a coach on that staff and easily puts in 20+ hours a week for nothing but the opportunity.

The assistant coaches at Curtis, Lakes, Wilson, Foss, etc aren't making money either. Kitna says he would stay forever if it was sustainable, but I don't get why he thought it would be any different three years later? He's a smart guy. He didn't think, "Well maybe in a few years once we get going, we will have a lot more money for the assistants. Where was this money going to suddenly come from? Lincoln is a run down public school. Wasn't this always part of the challenge and why people were rooting so hard for Kitna? This was always going to be an issue and it was known from day one. High school assistant coaches don't make much money in Washington. Everyone knows this.

A quote from Kitna from the News Tribune:

“The dream would be to stay here, the comfortable thing would have been to stay here, the ideal thing would have been to stay here. But where God is leading me, I have to follow, and I’ve always said that.”

I know Kitna is a very openly religious man, but come on. Did God tell him he was no longer needed at Lincoln? What if an NFL team offered Urban Meyer $12 million and he said he left Ohio State because he always follows God?

Anyways, Kitna is a great coach. I do wish he was staying to become a legend in the town and he did a ton of good for Lincoln and the community. I completely understand why he was leaving. He had a lot of pressure on him at Lincoln to be the savior and I would imagine he's looking forward to being more of a football coach and less of an idol. It is also easier and more feasible to be a national program in Texas than at Lincoln. I wish him well in Texas and look forward to following his career.

DonaldJones

I don't really buy it. Kitna knew what he was getting into. He knew the challenges at Lincoln. He knew that there wasn't going to be money for assistants, etc. It's not there at any Tacoma Public School.

I don't get how he couldn't keep it going. He had his son at QB for two more years and it wa becoming the destination spot for Tacoma area football players that didn't attend Bellarmine.

He did a ton for Lincoln, but he should be honest about leaving. Enough with the bullshit about The Lord telling him to take the new job in Texas. Tell the truth that it pays more, it has better support, and that it's better for his son to play in Texas. Not to mention it's a higher level down there and he wants a new challenge.

I couldn't disagree with you more. It was impossible for him to know what he was getting himself into when he literally just got off the football field himself without any experience of running a program. Yea he obviously knew they didn't have any money and would be some challenges but he did not understand all the dynamics of running a program in the inner city. It's a different world when you are coaching in the hood. I know from first hand experience which I coached with Charles in Inglewood CA. What would you do if you if you had a kid that was homeless and didn't have any food? Parents in an out of jail. Not mention all the Gangs, drugs, and crime you have to deal with.

He was not only a coach but like a father that had provide the bare necessities for those kids. I saw it first hand when i visited him last summer. Oh yea, half of them couldn't even read and write when he got there so include the title Teacher in addition to Coach and Father.

Plus you don't know what's going on in the Man's household. He has his own family with young kids. Reading between the lines it seems it was beginning to take it's toll on the people around him. So at the end of day you have put your family first and If God told him to that neither you or I have the right to judge.

Doogles

This whole thread is why DJ deserves your 10.95. I just awesomed roadie and in the same moment upvoted donald. That is called debate gentleman. I'm not dialed in with washington highschool football, but i see both sides of the coin and am eager to understand more.

Lawrence_of_a_Labia

Great bleeping thread.

RaceBannon

I never blame a kid for taking a Waxahachie offer

DonaldJones

I agree with Doogles. There are definitely 2 sides to this which is the reason I brought it up. I appreciate Road Dawg's opinion. And there is a part of me that wishes John could have stayed. I don't know the specific details but at the end of day John's ultimate responsibility is to his wife and kids.

ThomasFremont

This whole thread is why DJ deserves your 10.95. I just awesomed roadie and in the same moment upvoted donald. That is called debate gentleman. I'm not dialed in with washington highschool football, but i see both sides of the coin and am eager to understand more.

But what about threads where PLSS calls me gay over and over again? Are you saying those don't add value???

My Kitna story:

I heard him speak back in the day when he was QB in Seattle. He told us that god told him that the Seahawks would win the Superbowl that year. He insisted that god spoke to him. We laughed in his face.

If I remember correctly, he and Huard battled all year for the job and they didn't even make the playoffs.

Either god trolled the shit out of him, or Kitna's a compulsive liar.

doogsinparadise

It wouldn't be HCH if we didn't call this dude out for his bullshit, come on now. Talk shit, push the line of propriety; why else are you here? This is exactly why you should always be suspicious of people trying to pull a Messiah act, god card, etc.

RoadDawg55

I agree with Doogles. There are definitely 2 sides to this which is the reason I brought it up. I appreciate Road Dawg's opinion. And there is a part of me that wishes John could have stayed. I don't know the specific details but at the end of day John's ultimate responsibility is to his wife and kids.

Leaving for his family makes a lot of sense and actually gives a little background on why Kitna said God was leading him to Texas. He has to do what is right for his family.

jecornel

You know that is the tricky thing about being a jesus worshipper. You want to follow in the footsteps of jesus and work with poor and with people at a disadvantage and it it sounds heroic and brave but once you get in thick of it?

Perspective and life choices come into play. You have no idea the challenges put forth in areas of poverty, irresponsible parents and brutal home life.

If you are a multi millionaire and you have lived in a bubble and then you attempt the noble thing by doing good in the community imagine trying to keep the proper mindset each and everyday to do so.

Look at the coach in the documentary Undefeated. He bailed. Look at the what he went through with his family life.

If he feels God lead him to Texas, then by golly go to Texas.

I applaud John's efforts for trying and I don't pretend to know all the details of his decision but just say I want to go to Texas for a better situation.

jecornel

It wouldn't be HCH if we didn't call this dude out for his bullshit, come on now. Talk shit, push the line of propriety; why else are you here? This is exactly why you should always be suspicious of people trying to pull a Messiah act, god card, etc.

There is nothing worse than the God card. Nothing. There is absolutely no critical thinking or logic behind the statement. Bush used it to blow up Iraq. I blew up school full of kids because God told me to do so. It is truly sickening and a cop out.

I know this is tug tavern stuff but god cards are unacceptable.