Northgate's head girls' basketball coach fired back this week after the school board voted last month to open his position to other applicants.

Responding to complaints from several people that head coach Bill Quinn, although a nice person, was not teaching the girls the skills they needed, Northgate's school board voted not to automatically renew Quinn's contract for next year.

An angry Quinn spoke at the board's committee of the whole meeting on Monday, saying that he had been "blindsided" by the board, and refuting complaints about his qualifications and ability to coach.

Quinn presented board members with an informational packet that included the criminal record of one of the men who had complained about him last month. He stated that of the people who spoke at the board meeting, some did not even have daughters who were on the team, while others had never discussed or mentioned any problems to him.

Saying that the board had been misinformed, Quinn noted that last year's girls' basketball team came within two games of the WPIAL playoffs, and, with an 8-12 record, had more wins than the school's football, boys' basketball, baseball and softball teams combined. During his two years as head coach, Quinn said, the team's record has improved drastically despite the lack of seniors.

In addition to having a degree in physical education from the University of Pittsburgh, Quinn said that he has taken numerous coaching-related classes and has coached a variety of sports over the past decade.

The board has received a number of applications for the head coaching job, according to athletic committee chairman David Natale.