Two days before Bank of O’Fallon Basketball Shootout top-ranked Curie loses its coach
The coach of a top-ranked Illinois high school boys’ basketball team has been removed from his position following an allegation that he had a physical altercation with a student.
Mike Oliver was removed as coach at Curie Metropolitan High School, Chicago Public Schools said in a news release. It did not say if Oliver was suspended or fired.
Curie is scheduled to take on Mehlville, Mo at the sixth annual Bank of O’Fallon Shootout at O’Fallon High School on Saturday at 4 p.m. Bank of O’Fallon Shootout Director Cory Patton said Thursday that he had spoken to Curie representatives ad that the team will compete in the event
Oliver told WBBM-TV that the allegation stems from his role as a security guard at the school.
“It’s all false accusations,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. ”I haven’t done anything wrong. I was doing my job at Curie. That’s all I can say. I’m under investigation.”
“I’ve worked for CPS in security for 27 years, and I’ve never had an allegation against me,” he added. ”I’ve never even had a write-up from a principal or a parent conference.”
The allegation is being investigated by the district which also is making sure support is available to the student, according to a district spokesman.
Oliver was suspended in 2014 after several players were found to be academically ineligible and again in 2016 after a forfeit loss in Michigan City, Indiana, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Assistant coach Larry Wallace has taken over the program.