Marnetta Scott’s tenure at 21st Century lasts two games

Updated: May 9, 2012 10:03AM

GARY — Former 21st Century girls basketball coach Marnetta Scott is coaching a boys grade school basketball team at Marquette Elementary again, just as she did before this season when an opportunity came up to lead the 21st Century girls team.

That opportunity lasted less than a month and Scott only coached two games for the Cougars. And then came one practice session that changed everything.

“We came to the conclusion that for the betterment of the girls basketball program, we needed to go in a different direction,” assistant athletic director Rodney Williams said.

Scott was let go despite the offensive potential 21st Century was showing. In their now four-year history, the Cougars had never scored more than 19 points in one game. In this year’s season opening loss to Hammond Academy, they scored 35.

“We just had different philosophies more than anything and we felt we had to make a change as quickly as possible,” Williams said.

Alan Gaines and Marcus Ford will serve as coaches

So how could a relationship between coach and players sour so quickly?

“I pattern myself after (former Indiana University coach) Bob Knight,” Scott said. “I think the coaches before me babysat those girls and I heard from one other coach who said they found themselves babysitting the girls and that’s why they didn’t want to coach them any more.

“If you miss a layup during practice, most coaches would have you run suicides or some drill to practice and I don’t think that was done with them and that’s part of my coaching philisophy”

Things hit the boiling point just before the Cougars’ Nov. 16 matchup with Roosevelt. And it came from what Scott says was a comment she made to her team that was taken the wrong way.

“I like to use the technique of tough love and I told them that if they didn’t shape up and play the way I knew they could play, then I would quit on them. Not saying that I quit at all, but all they heard was the word ‘quit’, not hearing anything I said before or after it.”

The response?

Scott said she was told that the girls were upset about what was said and some even cried afterward.

“It just really got out of hand,” Scott said.

So much so that, despite Scott texting her girls saying she would meet them at practice the following Monday, Scott was told to get in contact with the school principle, who ended Scott’s run at 21st Century.

“It’s going to be tough but our girls are young,” said Williams, who had no comment on the reason Scott was fired. “We need to have coaches to grow with our girls. Plus, they are here in the building so they will see the girls everyday and talk with them and motivate them and we feel in the long run it would be a better situation.”

As for Scott, she says she has no ill feelings toward her former school.

“I still love the girls and I was not talking bad about them like (the rumor) that was going around,” Scott said. “And if my schedule permits, I will be at every game I can be at.”

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