Ropes to Coach Golf but Not Basketball at Newbury Park

Greg Ropes, who last season coached the Newbury Park High boys’ basketball and golf teams, resigned as basketball coach after school officials told him he had to focus on only one sport, he said Thursday.

“I believe you can do both, but others don’t,” Ropes said. “I would have continued to coach both if I had a choice.”

Ropes, 46, has coached the basketball team since 1989. He became the golf coach last season. He said he decided to keep the golf position because Teri D. Scarpino, the athletic director, indicated she preferred him to coach that sport.

Scarpino was unavailable for comment Thursday.

“She had some criticisms of my basketball coaching but not my golf coaching,” Ropes said. “I felt that she supported me much more as the golf coach.”

In four seasons coaching the basketball team, Ropes was 27-64. The Panthers were 5-16 last season. Newbury Park’s best finish under Ropes was 13-11 in 1989.