| Lane Herrick holds the trophy won by Carbon High at the state tournament in 2001, the night the team returned to Price from St. George. Herrick was dismissed as baseball coach at Carbon last week. |
Lane Herrick loves baseball and his family loves baseball. When one rings the front doorbell of his home, it plays “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” As head coach of the Carbon High baseball program for over a decade, he had seen the program have it’s ups and downs, but largely ups as the team has appeared regularly in the state playoffs.
But last week it was announced that Herrick had been removed from his coaching duties and replaced with long time assistant coach Troy Moynier.
The change comes just as the 2007 baseball season is beginning and tryouts are taking place.
Carbon High Principal Robert Cox gave no reasons for the change. His statement to the Sun Advocate only reflected the change to a new coach.
“Troy Moynier will take over as interim coach,” said Cox. “We appreciate that, when asked, he stepped up to take on the task in the middle of all the turmoil.”
While Cox would not make any comments about the situation, Herrick said, in a letter to the Sun Advocate, he was not willing to resign when asked to do so. He stated that he did not want to go, but was removed from the position anyway.
Despite the dismissal from his position, Herrick says his record speaks for itself.
“For 17 years I have been involved with Carbon High baseball, eleven years of which were as head coach,” commented Herrick in the letter. “During that time as head coach, Carbon won seven region titles, two state titles (within the last five years) and have made it to the state tournament for the last 11 straight years. My coaching record for that time is 173 wins and 77 losses. Over that time, I have worked to build one of the nicest high school baseball fields in Utah. I have never had a losing record and was twice voted 3A coach of the year.”
As with all coaching jobs, Herrick faced opposition for his decisions about the team at times over the years. But he says he never considered leaving the position and liked coaching the baseball team at the school.
“I have loved coaching all the young men who have come through my program,” he stated. “I feel that I have run a highly respected program.”
Finally he stated that he saw no reason for why he was removed, and felt he had done nothing wrong to warrant such action.