ETV News stock photo by Dusty Butler
Word began to surface last week that Emery High boys’ basketball coach Jeff Cisneros had been relieved of his responsibilities. Those rumors proved true as the district announced early Monday morning that it was looking to fill the open position. Cisneros and staff were hired just last summer and coached through one of the strangest basketball seasons we ever hope to see.
With heavy restrictions on practice throughout the summer due to COVID-19, there was less time than normal for the team to pivot from a program under Todd Jeffs of 32 years to the new regime. Wins were hard to come by as the Spartans finished 4-16 on the season and just 1-9 in Region 12.
As it turns out, Cisneros will not have the opportunity to see how a ‘normal’ year would play out. There is no doubt that the season was underwhelming for a program that has become accustomed to such high success and Cisneros would be the first to admit that.
School administration, however, clearly felt that problems stemmed deeper than the effects of the pandemic and elected to move on from Cisneros after one year. As a result, Emery will spend its second straight offseason looking for a new coach. Information on the opening and where to apply can be found on the district’s website.