Escondido Coach Loses Appeal

Dennis Snyder says he’s finally satisfied, even though the Escondido Union High School District has turned down an appeal of his firing as Escondido High School football coach.

Snyder, a 21-year coaching veteran, was fired after the season by first-year principal Jackie Nichols. The foremost reason was Snyder’s alleged poor interest in the school’s new parent-teacher booster organization.

“I wanted to get a chance to refute (in an appeal before the board) the six reasons for the firing,” Snyder said Thursday night. “I feel there was no doubt her reasons were not valid. There must have been (another reason).”

Snyder, who lost a similar appeal to Superintendent John Cooper last December, said his main objection was the way Nichols handled the matter. “She had a right to do what she did,” Snyder said. “I had no way of knowing what her expectations were. If she would have sat down with me before the season started . . . then I would have listened.”

George Reed, president of the district’s board of trustees, said the five-member board ruled Tuesday on whether Nichols had the right to fire Snyder. The board ruled unanimously against Snyder’s appeal. “We established the fact that the principal had the authority to do what she did,” Reed said.

During his nine years as head football coach, Snyder was 27-27-1 in league and 39-51-2 overall.

Although the board urged Snyder to remain as an assistant coach, he said he is “weighing his options,” but probably will decline. Snyder will retain his teaching position at the school.