Bruce Martin turns in his written resignation

Bruce Martin officially resigned his duties as head girls’ basketball coach at Routt Catholic High School Wednesday. Joe Eilering, who served as an assistant coach under Martin last season, was named the new head coach shortly after.

Martin originally told the Routt School Board of his intentions to resign at a board meeting Sept. 17. The board accepted his resignation that night, but the coach didn’t formally submit his resignation in writing until Wednesday.

“We had some conversations to go through, and they got wrapped up Monday or Tuesday morning, so I went ahead and mailed it in this morning,” Martin said.

According to multiple sources close to the situation, Martin was facing a three-game suspension to start the 2007-08 basketball season. The suspension was handed down for something he did while coaching the Routt girls’ softball team this past spring. Martin brought two Routt students along with the softball team for a game against Triopia-Meredosia. Routt already had nine players dressed that day, but the coach still played the two fill-in players.

The Routt School Board ruled that Martin’s decision violated the school’s pay-to-play policy — all Routt athletes pay $60 per sport they participate in — and thus issued the suspension.

The school board was going to wait until the 2008 softball season to suspend Martin, but the coach resigned from his softball coaching duties shortly after the season ended. The board then decided to suspend the coach for the first three games of the 2007-08 basketball season instead.

“We agreed to disagree on the handling of a situation relating to playing time in one softball game,” Martin said. “As a result, I felt uncomfortable coaching at Routt, and so I turned in my resignation.”

Martin coached five seasons of softball and four seasons of basketball at the school. His career softball record was 78-54, and his basketball record was 88-33. Martin led the 2006-07 Lady Rockets to a third-place finish at state.

“We were discussing some different things, but in the end, we agreed to disagree, so that was the end of it,” Martin said.

The former coach said he thought the Routt girls’ basketball team would be fine without him.

“I wish the girls and Routt the very best,” he said. “I really think they’re going to be a good team this year.”

Martin and Eilering worked closely last year and over the summer.

“Joe and I were really close. I think he’ll do a fine job. He has my full support,” Martin said. “He and I actually talked about it (Tuesday) night, and I told him he has my full support. Joe is a good guy.”

Routt principal Randy Verticchio and Routt athletic director Barry Creviston thanked Martin for his services.

“Bruce Martin has taken the (girls’ basketball) program from a situation where it was just an activity the girls did in the winter, to where now people in the area recognize Routt girls’ basketball as one of the best programs around,” Verticchio said.

Said Creviston: “It’s a decision that he made, and we’re sorry to see him go. I think Joe Eilering will step in and make a smooth transition with the girls. We had a brief meeting today in the library and I think everybody was happy to hear that Joe Eilering was going to be the new coach.”

The first day of basketball practice is Oct. 29. Routt had yet to hire a new softball coach.