Eagles coach livid over losing job

Bill Horvath, accusing principal Dot Dodge of "political assassination,'' is out as girls soccer coach despite winning a district title and John Bifulco is back.

By GREG AUMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 24, 2000

Springstead principal Dot Dodge's decision not to renew the contract of girls soccer coach Bill Horvath after the Eagles' first district title in seven years has the deposed coach livid over what he claims was "nothing short of political assassination."

Horvath, who directed the Eagles to a 16-4-3 record and district title in his second season, found out last week that he would not be Springstead's coach next fall. Dodge instead granted boys soccer coach John Bifulco's wish to return to the girls team, which he coached from 1990-94. That doesn't bother Horvath so much as the way in which he found out.

One month after a meeting with Dodge in which he said "not a word was said" to indicate he would not be brought back, Horvath received a "two-sentence" letter from Dodge thanking him for his work and saying that her choice was "a tough decision," but that Bifulco had been selected.

"It devastated me," said Horvath, who has coached soccer on various levels in the county since 1983 and said he had looked forward to coaching his daughter, Stacey, who will be a senior at Springstead next fall. "When I had talked to (Dodge), she had absolutely no problems with the team or my coaching."

Reached at her office Tuesday, Dodge said she found "nothing negative with Mr. Horvath" and simply chose Bifulco "based on what was best for next year." Former boys head coach Sal Calabrese, who served as the JV coach last season, will take Bifulco's place as boys varsity coach.

Asked why Horvath had not been told about the potential coaching change during their meeting last month, Dodge reiterated that all supplementary paid positions are reviewed every year.

"I didn't know that Mr. Horvath thought he already had the job," Dodge said.

She said one factor in her decision was that Horvath, who works for the Hernando County's Sheriff's Office, is not an employee of the school system. Neither Bifulco nor Calabrese works at Springstead, but both hold jobs within the school system.

"Most of the people that apply for positions are from within the school system," said Dodge, who said she sent the letter because she had often had trouble reaching Horvath by phone. "We like to have school personnel whenever possible, and go outside when we need to."

Horvath said he would have understood that reasoning for Dodge's decision, but said she had not made any mention of that to him. And while he and Bifulco have never spoken, Horvath said Bifulco called a newspaper last year alleging that Horvath was using an ineligible player -- his own daughter.

"I don't like the man," Horvath said. "He stirred up a lot of trouble, and he wanted this team badly and stopped at nothing to get it."

Bifulco, who coached the girls team at Springstead for its first five years, said he had applied for the girls job in each of the past three years and said he has no malice toward Horvath.

"Not at all. I just put my hat in the ring," said Bifulco, who resigned in 1995 with a 62-14-9 record, unhappy with the attention his program received from the school. "I like the coaching part of it, and with the girls, you get to do a little more coaching. I'm very excited about that."

There is no doubting Bifulco's qualifications for the job, but Horvath is admittedly "highly upset," not only at the decision but the way he found out. His daughter had seen Bifulco in Springstead athletic director Pat McCoy's office but did not mention it to Horvath until she found Dodge's letter in the mail last week and read it.

"She broke down in tears -- it was just a terrible day for us," said Horvath, adding that his daughter and seven other Springstead players tried to speak to Dodge about the decision the next day, but the principal would not speak to them.

Horvath said his daughter will remain at Springstead for her senior year, though he doubted she would play soccer. His next step is searching for other high school coaching opportunities, such as at Hernando, which has yet to announce a successor to Rick Ahrens, who retired as girls coach after last season.

"When I was hired at Springstead, (McCoy) told me, "I expect you to turn this program around, and I want them to become winners quickly,' " said Horvath, who took a 7-11-1 team and went 10-8 in his first year before winning the district title a year later. "I dedicated myself to the team, and I know I held up my end of the bargain."

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