Longtime Racine High school Coach Reinstated after Firing

Racine--Coach Robert Letsch has been a coach at St. Catherine's High school for 49 years, but Saturday, he was handed his walking papers.

Letsch tells CBS 58 News, that he was given the option of stepping down, or being fired. His contract expired last November.

The coach had been the mean's head basketball coach for 35 of the 49 years at St.Catherine's. He's been inducted into 3 basketball Hall of Fame's, and is one of the winning est coaches in state history, with a record of 633 wins and 230 losses.

But according to Letsch, who didn't get into much detail about the firing, told CBS 58 News, that he had a recent argument with the Athletic Director, that may have led to his dismissal.

However, an estimated 200 students demonstrated their opposition to the school's decision of firing coach Letsch, by marching around the school yesterday, despite thunderstorms and tornado warnings.

Today, Tuesday, the school board announced that it had nothing to do with the coaches dismissal, but had decided that he would be reinstated for another year as head basketball coach at St. Catherine's High School for another year.

CBS 58 News spoke to coach Letsch before the announcement to take him back for the 2014 basketball season. We asked him what he would do, if he were asked to come back.

Letsch said, \"I would go back...one reason...no two reasons. I want to coach, and I promised the seniors that I would coach them until they graduated.\"

No word from coach tonight, but it's apparent he'll be back for another season as head basketball coach for St. Catherine's High.