King coach suspended

Earl Garcia III will miss five games because of his conduct toward a ref after Friday's game.

By JOE SMITH, Times Staff Writer
Published September 20, 2007

TAMPA - King suspended first-year football coach Earl Garcia III from team activities for five weeks for his actions following Friday night's 23-21 loss to Bloomingdale.

Garcia said the "perception is ugly, but it was not as bad as it seems."

Garcia, upset over a couple of penalty calls, said he approached a referee afterward, "put my arm around him and told him, 'I don't think we're getting a fair deal.' "

Garcia, 26, was instructed by a police officer not to approach the referee, but maintains reports are incorrect that he was escorted off the field by police.

"I didn't grab him. I didn't bump him," Garcia said. "I understand the zero tolerance thing. ... I just said a few things I probably shouldn't have said.

"I apologize for all the embarrassment and negative attention it's brought the school."

The officials' report includes nothing on any physical confrontation, only that Garcia had a "volatile" response to two penalties. Then, after the game, he made "derogatory comments" about an official before being "physically restrained by his assistant coaches."

One of Garcia's assistants, offensive coordinator Alex Gonzalez, will serve as interim coach when the Lions (1-2) host Durant (1-2) on Friday night. Garcia said the entire football staff was originally fired on Monday, with three assistants let go for good and the others being re-instated. Garcia can return for the Lions game versus Leto on Oct. 26.

Garcia, son of longtime Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia, will have to pay a $200 fine levied by the Florida High School Athletic Association for his actions toward the referee.

King athletic director Frank Oliver did not return phone messages. Garcia admitted it wasn't his first spat with an official; as a defensive coordinator last year, Garcia said things "got testy" with a referee, an incident that didn't draw a penalty or ejection, but one Oliver witnessed.

The Lions also will be without three starters Friday night. King senior lineman Dominique Carswell received a one-game suspension for objecting to a call by a ref. The team's leading rusher, Donovan Celerin, is out for two weeks with an ankle injury and CB/WR Dominic Leak sprained a triceps muscle.

"It's just a bad situation from all angles," Garcia said. "Everything we worked for since last November has been jeopardized now. Two-and-a-half years of hard work over here, a five-minute jog across the field, and 50 percent of the season is taken away."

Garcia is a full-time employee at King, where he runs the in-school suspension.

"I told the guys Monday, as long as we keep plugging away, there's bound to be some kind of sunshine at the end of this," Garcia said.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com or (813) 310-9024.

Speaking out

Chamberlain coach Billy Turner:

"I feel bad for the guy. He's very popular among his peers. I think (the punishment) is kind of stiff. But Hillsborough County is very adamant about sportsmanship and has been for a long time. I think he would have learned as much with two weeks as with five. The adverse publicity with it being in the paper is a tremendous punishment. The guy is suffering for this being out in the open and suffering for not being with his team."

Armwood coach Sean Callahan:

"When I heard about it, I said, 'Wow.' And for me to say, 'Wow,' it's wow."

Robinson coach Mike DePue:

"These days, coaches are really under the microscope. Coaches have to look over our shoulders. Some of us are volatile at times. The big question is, what line did he cross? What is that line for coaches?"

[Last modified September 21, 2007, 19:26:52]