Fort Defiance fires Waters

Long-time Fort Defiance wrestling coach Terry Waters has been fired, ending a career that produced two state champions and two undefeated seasons, Augusta County’s top school official said Tuesday.

Fort Defiance High School officials decided to go in a different direction, Augusta County Schools Superintendent Gary McQuain said. Because Waters was not a tenured teacher, his coaching contract could be renewed or terminated at the end of the year by Fort Defiance Principal Larry Landes, McQuain said.

Waters said Landes cited his lack of a relationship with the other coaches.

“I told him, ‘How can I have a relationship with people who never gave me a chance when I first got to Fort?’ ” Waters said in a text message.

Neither Landes nor school Athletic Director Jack Tucker could be

reached for comment.

Waters ends his 14-year career at Fort Defiance with a 231-65 record.

Waters informed his team and wrestlers’ parents of the move Monday night in a meeting at the New Hope Community Center, where the Battlefield Wrestling Club is based, said Stacy Sutherland, mother of junior wrestler Justin Sutherland.

“It was an emotional meeting,” she said. “Especially for some of the guys — they’ve only wrestled for Waters.”

Team scorekeeper Jennifer Strother wondered which direction school officials had in mind for the program.

“Down?” she said.

Strother has been involved in the school’s wrestling program since her son, Daniel, began competing for Waters in the sixth grade. Officials could have handled Waters’ firing differently, she said.

“I thought they were kind of giving him the bum’s rush,” she said. “In all fairness, they could have let him know in March or April when there were other offers on the table.”

Waters posted winning seasons in 13 of his 14 years as coach. In addition to two state champions, Waters coached 14 state runners-up.

Strother said Waters maintained contact with wrestlers even after they left his tutelage.

“He still keeps in touch with

my son,” she said. “This is not the kind of coach who just graduates kids and moves on to the next bunch.”

Strother is a member of the Battlefield Wrestling Club board. Waters is the executive officer of Augusta County’s amateur wrestling club.

Waters, who is legally deaf, was one of three black head varsity coaches in Augusta County, Waynesboro and Staunton. The others are Riverheads cross country coach Doris Scott and Waynesboro girls basketball coach Secrett Stubblefield.

News Virginian staff writer Bob Stuart contributed to this story.