Murphy AD, girls basketball coach Ray Gutierrez resigns after consolidation setback

Murphy athletic director and girls basketball coach Ray Gutierrez announced his resignation Wednesday, citing the recent denial of grant money for Cherokee County's high school consolidation plan, which he views as an indication that moving out of the area would be best for his school-aged children.

A plan to consolidate three of Cherokee County's high schools — Murphy, Hiwassee Dam and Andrews — received approval from the county's board of education and board of commissioners in the past two years, with the new school scheduled to be open by 2025.

The contentious plan hit an early road block in May, when the district's needs-based school construction grant proposal wasn't among the 42 that received approval from the North Carolina Department of Public Institution in Raleigh. The rejection is expected to delay the opening of the school, and upon learning of it, Gutierrez began looking at other options.

"Some leaders in the community were opposed to it, and I didn't really understand why," Gutierrez told the Citizen Times. "[There's] a lack of vision and uncertainty of what's going to happen in Cherokee County schools and in particular Murphy High School."

BITTERSWEET: Bulldogs girls basketball named co-champions after COVID-19 cancels state title game

REPEAT: Bulldogs repeat with dominant win over Princeton

Gutierrez, whose two sons are entering 5th and 7th grade, respectively, realized his children might not get the chance to enjoy the new high school.

"Now's the most important time in their lives," Gutierrez said. "If a community could provide them a [better] education ... I would do that for them. I looked around, found a great school and from that point on, I wouldn't say it's an easy decision ... but it's definitely a better situation for them."

Gutierrez has accepted a teaching job at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw, Georgia, where his sons will enroll in the fall. He does not plan on coaching at the high school level. His departure was first reported by Fetch Your News.

A Murphy alumnus, Gutierrez had been with the Bulldogs for five seasons after spending four years at Hiwassee Dam.

The facilities at the county's existing high schools are in need of upgrades, Gutierrez said, increasing the urgency to open a consolidated school, increase funding to the current ones or both.

He could stomach the facility discrepancy between Murphy and schools across the state line in Georgia, but now, neighboring North Carolina counties have lapped Cherokee, he said.

"It's Clay County, Graham County, Swain County," Gutierrez said. "Seeing the importance of education and how much dollars go into resources for kids, it's eye-opening to me. ... Why can't we have what they have? Why are we not funded like they're funded?"

Gutierrez had preferred to stay out of the consolidation debate — "I'm not a politician by no means," he said — but seeing the conditions of the Bulldogs facilities every day led him to believe the county needs a firmer improvement plan than currently exists.

A former three-sport athlete at Murphy who married his high school sweetheart, Gutierrez said he "can't imagine" Cherokee County without Murphy High School, making the initial thought of consolidating high schools rather shocking.

However, members of all the communities in the county interact with each other regularly, he said, and improving the conditions for the county's students should take precedent over any other concerns.

"What's important is like, what are we doing to help these kids out right now?" Gutierrez said. "If it means shutting down Murphy High School ... that we can provide better education facilities for the kids of Cherokee County, then I'd be all for it. ... That's what it's about."

The Bulldogs won seven state championships during Gutierrez's tenure, including two girls basketball titles. He made the school's first football coaching hire in nearly 40 years, choosing Joseph Watson to replace Hall of Fame head coach David Gentry upon the latter's retirement last year.

Gutierrez does not plan on recommending a successor, but feels there are many capable candidates at the school.

Informing his girls basketball team and the rest of his Bulldogs inner circle of his departure was a difficult process, Gutierrez said, but one they understood aligned with the emphasis on family he'd instilled at the school since 2016.

"I loved what I did at Murphy. The athletic director job and the coaching aspect of it, I could reach so many different kids and have a positive impact on them," Gutierrez said. "But at the end of the day, I've got two boys, and I want to make sure I'm a great dad to them."

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Murphy athletic director, girls basketball coach Ray Gutierrez resigns