Bowling Green High School basketball coach's contract not renewed
7/1/2013Von Graffin, the most successful coach in the history of the Bowling Green High School boys basketball program, did not have his contract renewed today.
Graffin coached the Bobcats for 11 seasons and led them to a 148-94 record, the most wins in the program's history.
Graffin, who was coaching under an annual one-year renewable contract, said he was asked to step down today.
“I was asked to resign and I refused because I will not give up on these kids,” he said.
Graffin said he was not given a specific reason for the non-renewal.
“The general statement was that maybe some people in the community would be happy,” Graffin said.
Graffin served as an assistant boys basketball coach for three season before taking over the program.
Bowling Green posted an 111-43 record in the Northern Lakes League under Graffin. The Bobcats won an NLL title in 2002-03, the program's first league championship since 1968. Bowling Green went 14-0 in 2010-11 to win the NLL again.
Last year the Bobcats went 14-11, finished second in the league, and won a sectional title. He was named the Blade's coach of the year in 2003.
Graffin has been a teacher for Toledo Public Schools for 28 years. He also was an assistant coach at Macomber and at Rossford.
Bowling Green graduated six seniors from last season's team, but Graffin said he had been working with his players this summer.
“I had confidence we could rebuild and win,” he said. “I was excited about the challenge.”