COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: Pattie Gardner is an employee of ABC24.
The Collierville High School Girls Varsity basketball head coach and assistant coach lost their jobs, even after taking the team to the Sweet 16 recently.
The news shocked not only the basketball team, but also frustrated parents, who found out about the dismissal of coach Pattie Gardner Monday evening.
Gardner received the news late Monday afternoon just months after leading her team to their best record in school history.
"Under no circumstance did they talk to the current parents or talk to the current players who just came off the winningest season in 35+ years before they made this decision," said Dr. Otis Anderson, parent of a player.
What makes it even more frustrating for players and parents is this news comes on the heels of Deborah Moody, the Girls Varsity Assistant Coach, being fired just last week.
A statement from the Collierville Public Information Officer Jen Hannah said, "Collierville High School has made the decision to part ways with the head coaches of both the boys and girls basketball programs."
"Both coaches successfully fulfilled their coaching agreements, which are offered on an annual basis. Collierville Schools will immediately begin the search process for coaches for both programs, with a strong preference for full-time, certified classroom educators. Interested candidates should apply via the district’s website."
Coach Gardner said there’s much more to this than meets the eye.
"They had mentioned that they got a lot of emails at one point from parents that are coming from Collierville West about what they don’t want to go on in girls' basketball, but yet, their girls have never made the program," Gardner said. "You hate to even look at it, but if you think about it, the reality is their white privilege versus what is on the team now."