Mingus Union High School head coach Doug Provenzano has resigned from his position, the school administration announced Aug. 17.
Provenzano resigned just weeks before the Marauders’ opener against the Thunderbird High School Sept. 3, citing the strain of COVID-19 and the daily commute from the Valley away from his family as the reasons for his departure, according to other sources.
However, Provenzano’s resignation came just days after being placed on a paid administrative leave pending an investigation by school administration, Mingus Union High School District Superintendent Mike Westcott said. The circumstances of the investigation have not been released publicly.
“I cannot provide details beyond this: Coach Doug Provenzano has been placed on a paid administrative leave pending the results of an investigation to be carried out by our administration and school district’s attorney,” Westcott said in an email Aug. 16.
On Aug. 25, Westcott said the investigation had been turned over to MUHSD attorneys, stating any information the school finds is subject to client-attorney privilege.
“Once Doug’s resignation was received, the investigation ceased, as did the administrative leave as there was no verification of unprofessional conduct at that time,” Westcott said.
Requests for comment from Provenzano were not returned by press time.
Provenzano only spent a little more than a year at Mingus Union High School, bringing the team from 0-10 in 2019 to 1-6 during the shortened 2020 season. Prior to joining the Marauders, Provenzano acted as the head coach at Paradise Honors and Barry Goldwater highschools and helped take Liberty High School to a 6A State Championship in 2019 as an assistant.
Athletic Director Yancey DeVore said Provenzano did a good job of bringing out the competitiveness in their team and helped increase the season’s scores.
“We did see some improvement with our kids,” he said. “They were very competitive last year under his first year. And even though the record didn’t really show that, he was able to get the team where they were.”
DeVore said the school appointed MUHS alumnus and current health and PE teacher Dave Moncibaez, who has previous head coaching experience, as the interim head coach Aug. 20. Not only that, but DeVore said they aren’t worried about the program as the remaining support coaches for the team are still around and ready to lead the Marauders this season.
“We have a core of our coaches that are still out there that are working with the kids that have been keeping the program going and none of that’s changed,” he said. “Most of the coaches are still here. They’re committed. They’re working hard and they’re doing a great job.”
He added that the kids on the team are also working hard and they’re looking forward to being in a good position this year.
“We’re really in a good spot. We don’t have a lot of depth, but there’s some talented kids out there, though, that have been working hard,” DeVore said. “I’m just looking forward to the team moving on and just for the coaches that are there to work with these kids to get them better and for the community to rally around them. That is my hope.”
