It’s been an eventful girls volleyball season in the Fox River Classic Conference.
Not just on the court.
West De Pere will go the rest of 2025 without head coach Craig Kain, who stepped down after the Phantoms’ 3-0 loss to Manitowoc on Sept. 30.
Top assistant Bailey DeKeyser has been named interim coach for the rest of the season. DeKeyser is a Spanish teacher at West De Pere.
It’s the second time this season an FRCC volleyball coach has abruptly walked away.
Jeremy Weis, who led Bay Port to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament last season, resigned just days before the first practice in August.
Kain was asked his reasons for stepping down but didn’t give one.
“I was honored to coach this group of young women, and I continue to believe in their talent, character and potential both on and off the court,” he said. “While my time with the program has come to a close, I will always be cheering them on and wish them nothing but success in the remainder of this season and seasons ahead.”
The Phantoms have played well under Kain this season, entering a match against Ashwaubenon on Oct. 2 with a 17-7 overall record and in fourth place behind Manitowoc, De Pere and Bay Port in the 10-team FRCC.
So, why is Kain no longer coaching?
“He had to resign for some personal reasons,” West De Pere athletic director Scott Eggert said. “Too bad. He really knows volleyball.”
Eggert reiterated that Kain resigned and wasn’t asked to either leave or get fired if he didn’t.
But some in attendance at the Manitowoc match heard Kain use some strong language toward his players.
A video from after the match appears to show a man confronting Kain. Eggert is wheeling away chairs at that moment before stopping and looking back. He then approached the two to perhaps help diffuse the situation. The man eventually walked away.
Both Eggert and Kain were informed in text messages that there were videos from the match and were asked if they wanted to respond to the situation that happened or deny that anything did.
Neither responded.
West De Pere entered its showdown against Ashwaubenon with five matches remaining in the regular season.
Regional play in D1 is Oct. 23 and 25, while sectionals take place Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.
The state tournament is Nov. 6-8 at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: West De Pere volleyball coach steps down with five matches remaining in the regular season
Reporting by Scott Venci, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
