Supporters for former wrestling coach fill room during Rochester School Board meeting Monday

It was a full house during Monday's Rochester School Board meeting, as community members gathered to show support for the former Rochester varsity wrestling head coach who had recently been terminated after a 25-year career with the wrestling team.

Nearly 50 people attended the Rochester School Board meeting at the Learning Center Conference Room on Monday in support of former Rochester varsity wrestling head coach Clint Gard. Community members put Gard back in the spotlight recently after RHS Athletic Director Cal Stone announced that Gard would no longer be head coach for the team. Gard's position as wrestling head coach ended after Sept. 25, when school officials asked him to resign or be fired due to accusations about Gard violating the general decorum standards, specifically in reference to exhibiting civility in dealing with athletes and parents. Gard is still employed as a teacher at the school, and the termination was solely on his job as head wrestling coach. 

Shortly after the incident, a follow-up email was sent out stating that the new varsity wrestling head coach would be Tristan Wilson, pending approval from the school board. Gard supporters immediately geared up to stand against the termination, believing his position and work building the school's wrestling program for the past 25 years had been undermined by school officials. In the weeks following the termination, signs began popping up in yards across Rochester to show their resistance against the termination and Gard supporters began putting their heads together with hopes of somehow bringing back the coach to the wrestling team. 

Around 20 Gard supporters gathered on Sunday evening at Grace United Methodist Church to discuss a plan on how they could respectfully demonstrate the importance of keeping Gard in the RHS wrestling program at the school board meeting. Initially after Gard's termination six coaches, including the new varsity wrestling head coach, Tristan Wilson, stated they were resigning from coaching the wrestling team. All six coaches eventually retracted their resignations, vowing to continue on with the RHS wrestling program for student athletes. 

''We want the kids to have a season. The kids want to have a season. We don't want the kids to have to suffer,'' Wilson stated during Sunday's meeting. 

Many coaches, families from the wrestling team and former students of Gard still have hope of him returning to the team in the future as a volunteer, however. Wilson's position as the newest varsity wrestling head coach was officially approved on Monday by school board members. Bringing Gard back as a volunteer, however, still remains in limbo. Gard said that he initially had no desire to continue as head coach anyways. He would, however, like on staff as a volunteer to help Coach Wilson and other coaches to make a smooth transition and coach his son for his last two years of high school. 

''It's not a hard no, but rather just not right now,'' Wilson said in regards to questions asked to officials about Gard being allowed to return as a volunteer wrestling coach at RHS down the road. 

Five different people spoke to school board members during Monday's meeting highlighting Gard's impact on student wrestlers. RHS wrestling mother, Darla Beck, stated during the meeting that Gard's coaching was instrumental to her son's passion for wrestling. Beck emphasized the importance of allowing Gard to volunteer and help the team, as well as help Wilson as he navigates his way into the program as the new wrestling head coach. 

A more personal testimony came from Kelly Gard, the former coach's wife, who described the passion and dedication her husband carried for RHS wrestling team during the past 25 years.