(BULLETIN: Corpus Christi Carroll High defensive coordinator Marcus A. Booker has withdrawn his name for consideration as the new athletic director for the Kingsville Independent School District and head Brahma football coach.

Booker said Friday night after press time that he will remain with Carroll.

“The way this whole situation has been handled, I think it is not fair to my family and the kids of Kingsville and Carroll,” he said.

“I wish Kingsville and their next athletic director and head football coach the best of luck in the future,” Booker said.

“This is probably a good thing, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I think he wanted me to stay in Corpus Christi.”)

Less than 24 hours after initially approving his employment, Kingsville Independent School District announced its intent to rescind a Tuesday decision by the school board to hire Corpus Christi Carroll High School defensive coordinator Marcus A. Booker as the new athletic director for KISD and head Brahma football coach.

Trustees chose Booker as the new AD during a special board meeting Tuesday, and then KISD posted an agenda Wednesday for a special meeting at 11 a m. on Saturday, March 27, to rescind that decision.

KISD Superintendent Emilio Castro, who made the final recommendation to hire Booker following weeks of local committees processing applications and conducting interviews, said extra re- search into Booker’s resume prompted him to get the ball rolling to rescind his recommendation.

“At this juncture, upon receiving additional data on the current recommendation for the position of athletic director and head football coach, I will be recommending to the board this Saturday to rescind that recommendation for employment,” Castro said.

“In our interest and fairness to that candidate, the information that has become known to us gives me sufficient reason to recommend that rescission.”

So it’s probably back to square one for KISD.

“At this juncture, we are leaning towards reposting the position for athletic director and head football coach,” Castro said.

“That is what it looks like we are going to head towards.”

Booker countered by saying KISD’s potential reversal on Saturday is prompted by previous bad blood between him and Cotulla ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Saenz.

Booker spent seven years (2002-2009) out of a career total of 18 as the AD and head football coach for Cotulla High School where his teams made the postseason five times, twice to the state semifinals.

CHS has only advanced to the playoffs two other times in school history without him, Booker added.

“They (KISD) are looking more into my situation and their problem was why did I take a pay cut to leave Cotulla, which is basically because I was not happy as the AD there so I left,” Booker said.

“Now, I am pretty sure the superintendent (Saenz) there doesn’t like me and is trying to mess with me and they (KISD) are probably believing what she is saying.”

Saenz said otherwise.

“He is free to feel and say whatever he wants, but other than wishing him the best in any future professional endeavors, I really have no comment,” Saenz said.

“As far as his allegations about him saying that I called and gave the district (KISD) a bad reference, that never happened. As a matter of fact, they called and asked me for a reference, I gave them a letter of reference for Mr. Booker and I sent that to them. That is the end of the story, and at this point I only wish him the best.”

Booker mentioned previous instances between he and Saenz during his tenure at Cotulla.

“She said we didn’t have enough money so she cut six of my coaches and also put me in the class room, which I did not mind, and we had a mariachi program at a 2A high school which had just started out four years ago,” Booker said. “I like mariachi music, but if you have a money crunch you should eliminate the things you don’t need. I had to get a raise in order to make as much as the mariachi director, you see what I mean? The mariachi director’s wife is the superintendent’s secretary, so I was fighting an uphill battle and don’t think they liked athletics being that good.”

The work environment at CISD, Booker continued, became both personal and intolerable.

“There is no doubt that it was political but the problem was that I was not going to fight these people because it was starting to affect my kids,” Booker said. “When I left, they hired on four coaches and got some of the money back so she (Saenz) was doing these things purposefully to get after me.”

Saenz also allegedly tasked a high school principal with putting the heat on Booker, he said.

“What I don’t understand is that Saenz got what she wanted, I left Cotulla, so why is she still messing with me,” Booker said. “Because I never got in trouble or did anything wrong there so I do not understand why she still holds a grudge against me, but I guess the term about a woman’s scorn is true.”

With the AD job in limbo, Booker said he may not sign on the dotted line should KISD decide to stick with him after all.

“I know I did great things at Cotulla and that I am a great man so I am not worried about it,” Booker said.

“I told them (KISD) that they could call anyone in Cotulla and find out what was going on, but isn’t this what they should have done before they took my name to the board? Even if they offer me the job right now, I am not sure I am going to take it because of the way they did this; it just does not make me feel good,” he said.

“All I know is that if they want to win, I am the right guy because I am good with the kids, coaches and this is who I am,” Booker said.

Like I told the superintendent,

I’m there as long as you want me there.” Animals