BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
On Wednesday afternoon, Jason Wheeler received a phone call from Sharyland Pioneer high school principal James D. Heath. Heath wanted to know when Wheeler’s school day would end.
“I told him I get out around 2:30, and he asked if I could meet with him,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler later met with Heath, who was accompanied by Sharyland ISD athletic director Richard Thompson.
“I’m sitting in there, and Coach Thompson says, ‘The administration would like to go in another direction,’” Wheeler said. “They said I needed to get my stuff out by the end of the weekend. I can talk to my kids tomorrow (Thursday), and that was pretty much it.”
Wheeler said he wasn’t given any previous indication that Sharyland ISD was frustrated with the program’s performance.
“A lot of the school board members now have kids on the north side (at Pioneer), and they were very supportive,” Wheeler said. “I felt like I had a good relationship with them.”
Wheeler was the first and only head coach in the four-year history of Sharyland Pioneer football. After a 3-7 season in year one, Wheeler finished with a 23-19 record over four years, including a share of the District 31-5A championship in 2016 and back-to-back playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017.
“What disappointed me was these men that I respect a lot (Heath and Thompson) weren’t willing to fight for me,” Wheeler said.
“There’s really good people here at Sharyland, so for them not to explain why has me puzzled. But God is good, and I’m going to move on. I’ve been through more adversity than this.”
Multiple calls, texts and voicemails to both Heath and Thompson went unreturned as of Wednesday evening. Pioneer athletic coordinator Thomas Lee declined to comment on the decision.
High school coaches from in and out of the Valley flooded Wheeler’s phone Wednesday evening.
“I’m so thankful for the support I have with people, players and coaches, and I’ve only been here for 10 years,” Wheeler said. “But I’ll land on my feet. I’ll finish out my contract if I don’t find a job. If I get another job, we’ll move on.”
A few of Wheeler’s players reached out to him before their scheduled team meeting on Thursday.
“Some of my seniors who are the sons of coaches’ kids found out,” Wheeler said. “They’ve called me and sent texts like, ‘This isn’t right,’ and ‘I appreciate everything you did.’ I let them know I’m fine and not to worry about me, but I’ll help them in any way I can.”
Breaking the news to his kids was a bittersweet moment for Wheeler.
“It’s tough. I feel bad for my children, because they’re still going to school in the district,” Wheeler said. “I told them I’ve worn so many different colors and different schools that I’ll just find another school.
“This is what I want to teach my kids: tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”