Former Topeka basketball coach explains why he was fired

TOPEKA (KSNT) - The former coach of Topeka West's girls basketball program tells 27 News he was fired for breaking the rules.

Brent Hackett said he lost his coaching job after practicing with students in the off season.

Hackett told 27 News he was hired on as the head coach in mid-July, and started to work with the girls signed up for the program. He said the team met to work on strength and conditioning.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association - also known as KSHAA - regulates that coaches may only be involved with athletes in a sport during the season.

Hackett said he wasn't up to speed on the rules, but knew it was common for coaches to practice ball handling and skills training in the off season.

"Other coaches are saying that they're even doing this," Hackett told 27 News.

Groups of three to four girls would alternate between lifting weights and doing skills drills, Hackett explained.

Hackett said the school's principal contacted him a week before losing the job Oct. 26.

When families in the school found out, community members created a petition to "bring back Coach Hackett" and one basketball player stood in front of the USD 501 School Board of Education members to share her thoughts on the situation.

"It was good to see that someone was fighting for me," Hackett said. "Granted, I'm not from here, I'm not from Topeka. ... Genuinely, I care about what I'm doing; I wanted us to be a success story."

Hackett told 27 News he hopes his short time at Topeka West, he showed his players and their families to stand up for what they think is right. Hackett is employed as a teacher at another school in the district.