Davis High’s Julie Crawford, the reigning Delta Valley Conference girls volleyball coach of the year, was surprised to learn this week that she is not being asked back to coach the Blue Devils this fall.

Crawford, who also coaches the DHS boys team, got a call on Monday from Davis High Athletic Director Dennis Foster informing her that her fall variable services agreement would not be renewed.

What Crawford doesn’t know is why.

“At this point I have no idea why I am not being asked back as varsity volleyball coach,” the DHS physical education teacher told The Enterprise on Wednesday. “(My reaction is) extreme disappointment. The program, the players and the job I do is my ultimate passion. It’s my mission in life to serve these kids.”

A press release announcing that Crawford “would not be returning as head coach” was sent out Wednesday. Foster told The Enterprise that he and Davis schools personnel chief Matt Best made the decision, but he would not comment on a reason, citing that it was “a confidential personnel matter.”

The announcement came as a surprise since Crawford led the Devils to a 22-8 record and took them to the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs last fall. DHS was the conference co-champion as Crawford won the coaching award in her second season at the helm following six seasons as junior varsity coach.

For the past three springs, she also has coached the Blue Devil boys team, winning DVC boys coach of the year in 2011, then leading DHS to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

Foster said Crawford’s status as boys volleyball coach would be decided later this school year:

“As we get closer to that season, we’ll make the decision on that as we do with all of our coaches,” he said.

Foster went on to explain that VSAs typically come up for renewal around 30 days before the start of the winter and spring seasons — meaning January for boys volleyball — but with no school board meeting in July, the fall coaches’ VSAs were decided earlier.

Crawford, however, was stunned by the news — not only based on her on-the-court success, but because she has been hard at work preparing for the season with no indication that she shouldn’t have been:

“I was completely unaware that I was not going to be asked back,” she said. “I have had two very successful seasons in a row as head coach and, most recently, was selected as coach of the year.

“During the past several months, I have spent a significant amount of time planning for the upcoming season, which includes scheduling our matches, our annual Fall Classic tournament and the two DHS volleyball summer camps that I ran last week,”  Crawford continued. “All of the proceeds from the camp went into the DHS girls volleyball program to offset the cost of the upcoming season.”

In addition, Crawford pointed out that she has received positive postseason evaluations from Foster, including one that lauded her for “developing a culture in the girls volleyball program where the young ladies feel connected to one another and their community.”

However, Crawford’s VSA to be the boys volleyball coach last spring received extra scrutiny. It was pulled from the consent calendar of the school board agenda so trustees could specifically discuss and vote on it.

The VSA was eventually renewed by a 3-2 vote, with board members Gina Daleiden and Nancy Peterson casting the dissenting votes.

Now, with the fall season on the horizon and tryouts originally scheduled for Aug. 12, Foster said the search for a new girls volleyball coach will begin immediately.

“We are probably looking at at least two weeks, probably three,” he added. “We’ve opened the position (Wednesday) and we’ll see what the application pool looks like, then decide how to proceed.”

When Blue Devil football coach Steve Smyte’s resignation was announced on Monday, Foster was able to act quickly, installing head assistant Marc Hicks as interim coach the next day.

But the girls volleyball search will have an added twist in that one of the applicants is none other than Julie Crawford.

“As of 7 a.m. (Wednesday) morning, I have re-applied for my job after it was posted online,” Crawford said. “I want this job. I love my job. I am not giving up.”

“I do not want there to be any misconception that I ‘stepped down’ because quite frankly, it’s simply not true.”

— Reach Chris Saur at [email protected] or 530-747-8049.

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DHS’ Julie Crawford, middle, found out this week that she will not be asked back to coach the Blue Devil girls volleyball team this fall. Crawford also coaches the Davis boys squad. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise file photo

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