Bruce Allsup didn”t see it coming.
When it did, seven years at Heritage Academy ended in an instant.
Last week, Allsup lost his job as girls basketball coach and athletic director at Heritage Academy. His position was one of several that was cut from kindergarten through 12th grade at the private school in Columbus.
“I was totally shocked,” said Allsup, who also spent time as boys basketball coach at the school. “They gave me no inkling that it was happening.”
Allsup said the school gave him an opportunity to stay to the end of the year or to leave immediately, which he did to begin the search for a new job.
Allsup guided the Heritage Academy girls basketball team to an 18-15 record and a runner-up finish in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II state title game.
“I had seven great years at Heritage and I want to thank all of the student-athletes who played for me,” Allsup said. “I was associated with a lot of great, young kids, and, hopefully, I have been able to help them in some kind of way. I also worked with a lot of great coaches and teachers. I enjoyed my time there. I wish everybody the best.”
Allsup, who lives in Columbus, was in his 24th year as a coach. He was a coach at North Delta in Batesville before spending 10 years at Pillow Academy and three more at Kirk Academy. He said he was “disappointed” in the school”s decision to let him go, especially because he felt the girls basketball team, which figures to include rising senior center Rachel Hollivay, one of the nation”s top prep players, back next season, could be a state title contender in 2011-12.
“I thought we would be the favorite to win it all next year,” Allsup said. “We have a great group of ninth-graders moving up who are great athletes, and they will really add to our team. I think the expectations of what we could do next year are really high from my standpoint.”
Allsup also believes he leaves the school”s athletic department in better place. Despite being one of the smallest schools in Class AAA in MAIS, Allsup said Heritage Academy is competitive with its larger peers in every sport.
Allsup said he isn”t sure if he will try to find a job as a teacher or coach or if he will pursue other business opportunities.
“I will land on my feet,” Allsup said. “Hopefully I will find something I enjoyed as much as I did Heritage.”
Heritage Academy Headmaster Tommy Gunn declined to comment on any of the staff members who were cut. He said financial considerations forced the decisions.
“We had several staff changes at the school we had to make,” Gunn said. “They are tough decisions, and they are never fun. The economy is what it is, and we”re trying to deal with it the best we can and move forward.”
Gunn said Gary Clark has replaced Allsup as athletic director. He said the school plans to examine the best way to fill Allsup”s coaching vacancy. He said there is a possibility the school could combine the job of girls basketball coach with another position at the school. He added the girls basketball coaching position wasn”t the only job in the athletic department that was affected by the financial concerns.
Gunn said the decisions are even tougher because all of the people who work in the positions that were cut are his friends. But he said declining enrollment at the school is a reality the school continues to face. He said the school “has taken a pretty significant hit” the past few years, but that he hopes the school”s enrollment will be “about where it is this year” for the 2011-12 school year.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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