Welch May Stay as Canyon Coach as Talks With Principal Continue

Plans for the Harry Welch retirement party may have to wait. The Canyon High football coach, who resigned at the end of the season, continues to discuss his future with Principal Bill White.

The two have have met three times in the past week and are scheduled for another meeting today in ongoing discussions about Welch’s status with the team. Welch had announced Sept. 6 that his ninth season at Canyon would be his last. Welch will continue to teach English at the school even if he steps down as coach.

“What I have is a coach that’s resigned and it’s an open thing,” White said. “We have no timeliness and we’re not pressed to make any decisions.”

Welch has argued that he needs a decreased workload to remain as coach, claiming that four English classes are too many. The negotiations seem to indicate that Welch might return for a 10th season, although neither party has revealed much about the talks.

“It’s nobody’s business right now,” White said. “I don’t think that he really wants to not coach anymore and so we’re talking, asking, ‘Is this really what you want to do?’ Let’s let he and I talk and resolve issues.”

Welch insisted that speculation about his return is premature, claiming that he will not budge unless his teaching load is reduced. Welch seeks a job that is comparable to an associate student body director, a position in the William S. Hart School District, of which Canyon is a member. ASB directors teach only two classes in addition to heading extracurricular activities.

“I absolutely will not continue under the old system,” Welch said. “I’d like to be in the same situation as the ASB director. I’d like to be offered that. I’d like to be able to say yes or no.”

Welch claims that his workload and responsibilities as football coach are similar to that of an ASB director and are greater than coaches of other sports.

“There’s an incredible inequity between football coaches and most other coaches at the high school level and the way they are treated,” he said. “They are treated as if time commitments are equal and that’s a farce.”

Canyon was 11-2 this season, losing earlier this month in the Division I semifinals to eventual champion Loyola, 10-3.

The Cowboys have won three Southern Section titles and have reached the semifinals eight consecutive times under Welch, who has compiled a 100-19-1 record.