Basketball coach who resigned following turmoil to continue to direct clinics and camps

Basketball coach who resigned following turmoil to continue to direct clinics and camps

Basketball coach who resigned following turmoil to continue to direct clinics and camps

While he won’t coach the boy’s varsity basketball team next year, the former head coach will oversee camps and clinics for Eden Prairie’s youth basketball association.

In an email sent to families, and currently posted on its website’s home page, the Eden Prairie Boys Basketball Association (EPBBA) says they plan to move forward with David Flom directing upcoming camps and clinics.

“Spring clinics and summer camps will take place as planned under the direction of Coach Flom,” the email and post reads in part.

Flom is just days removed from resigning as head coach of Eden Prairie High School’s boy’s varsity basketball team. He was suspended from coaching duties in December as Eden Prairie Public Schools investigated allegations that he used a racial slur during a team meeting. A petition in support of Flom said he read the word aloud to highlight the impact of insensitive social media posts.

He was reinstated in January to finish out the season, but several players left the team to protest his return.

While people shared support for Flom throughout this process, it was those against him coaching who were most vocal – including Michael Minta, who has three sons who are part of the EPBBA.

“We’re not going to do the summer camps if the [EPBBA] doesn’t make a change in terms of who’s going to administer the camps,” Minta said.

As of Tuesday night, efforts to reach Flom and a representative with the EPBBA were not successful.

While Minta said Flom’s resignation was a good start, he still feels the entire process, including the EPBBA’s decision to move forward with Flom, has been handled poorly.

“It’s been quite baffling,” Minta said about the process, adding: “Why the school district is kind of straying away from the principles, and [even] the boy’s basketball association straying away from the principles that they claim to embrace, [is] really baffling.”

As for who will lead the Eagles varsity team next year, in that email and post for families, the EPPBA says the search is on and that it would appreciate feedback.