Former Morning Call Softball Coach of the Year is out of a job

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Liberty High's Rich Giering, who was The Morning Call's Softball Coach of the Year in 2012 after he led the Hurricanes to the program's first-ever District 11 title, has not been rehired.
Athletic director Fred Harris confirmed that the program has an opening on Tuesday morning and is seeking applications for a new softball coach.
"I wish Rich well," Harris said. "He did a good job for us."
Harris declined to go into the specifics of the school district's decision, saying it was a personnel decision.
According to a report on lehighvalleylive.com, a parent spoke up in favor of Giering on Monday night at the Bethlehem school board meeting and said her daughter and many of her teammates wanted him to remain as coach. Giering, according to the report, also spoke in front of the board and requested a meeting with the board in private to discuss what happened, but was denied that opportunity.
Various sources have said that the district's decision had to do with Giering's handling of a situation that involved all-area shortstop Alyshia Dellatore at the end of the season.
Dellatore, who is headed to the University of Delaware on a scholarship, did not play in the team's District 11 4A quarterfinal game against Northampton in late May, a game that the Hurricanes lost in extra innings.
After the game Giering was asked about Dellatore's absence and said she didn't play because of a violation of team rules.
Liberty, featuring two-time Morning Call player of the year Mariah Kondravy, finished the season with an 18-6 record and was 97-44 over Giering's six seasons in charge.
The high point of his tenure came in 2012 when the team went 20-5.
Prior to being hired at Liberty, his alma mater, Giering, 54, had been an assistant coach at Bethlehem Catholic. He is generally considered one of the more popular coaches in the local softball community because of his extensive background, not only in high school, but also with summer/travel league softball.
A call to Giering for comment has not yet been returned.