Dave Greenberg, who co-coached Centennial's girls soccer team with Kevin Flynn to Class 3A-4A state titles the past two seasons, has resigned.
Greenberg, who won six state titles coaching girls basketball at Mount Hebron, came to Centennial two years ago. Principal Edgar Markley asked Greenberg to coach the soccer team with Flynn, who teaches outside the county school system.
It was a perfect combination, utilizing Greenberg's strengths of organization, discipline and conditioning and Flynn's knowledge of soccer. The Eagles went 18-0 in 1994 and this year, after struggling early, finished 13-3-2 and shared the state title with Severna Park.
"It worked out amazingly well," said Greenberg, a counselor and girls basketball coach at Centennial.
Greenberg, a soccer goalie in high school and for a year in college, thought he would be coaching soccer for one season when he took over for Rick Pizarro. But Markley asked him to stay another year and Greenberg agreed.
"We had a lot of success. We accomplished a lot of positives, but now it's time for somebody new," said Greenberg, who, because of soccer playoffs, had to coach his soccer and basketball teams for a week at the same time.
"It's time for somebody whose first priority is soccer," he said. "I really think it's in the program's and the kids' best interest. I think the kids understand. It's not personal."
Said Markley: "He's done a tremendous job with the kids. They really love him."
Markley said he will discuss the vacancy with Flynn and junior varsity soccer coach Mike Senisi, who teaches in the county school system but not at Centennial, next month.
By county regulations, a teacher at the school would have the first opportunity to fill the position, followed by a teacher inside the school system and then someone outside the school system.
Senisi, an adapted physical education teacher, said he would not get in the way if Flynn wanted to continue at Centennial.
"I'm interested in coaching [at Centennial], but it's up to Kevin," said Senisi, who has 10 years of coaching experience and is ready to head his own program. "It would be a great opportunity, but I'm not going to try and weed him out. If he wants to coach there, I'd go somewhere else."
Flynn, who teaches in Laurel at the School for Contemporary Education, said he would like to return to Centennial. But with a busy schedule, he said he probably would not be able to do so without the assistance of another coach.
Flynn said he thoroughly enjoyed his two seasons working with Greenberg. "Everything worked out better than anybody could have thought," Flynn said. "We complemented each other. I learned a lot from him."
