Mortellus
May 6, 2023
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy removed O.J. Gary as its varsity head softball coach in May 2023, during the same period that it dismissed girls' basketball coach Brandon Young. School administrators and Young subsequently gave conflicting accounts of whether Gary had been offered an assistant coaching position or had independently asked to remain involved. The newspaper documented Gary's dismissal but did not include an interview with Gary himself.
What happened: In early May 2023, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy dismissed O.J. Gary from his position as varsity head softball coach. Gary's removal became public through a May 6 article in The Daily Courier primarily concerning the dismissal of girls' basketball coach Brandon Young. During his interview, Young told the newspaper that Gary had also been dismissed.
Young initially described Gary as having been offered an opportunity to remain with the softball program as an assistant coach. TJCA Athletic Director Steven Jones and Executive Director and High School Principal Jason Cole subsequently disputed that account. According to the administrators, Gary had not been offered an assistant position as part of his dismissal. Instead, they said Gary had personally requested permission to remain involved with the program.
The newspaper did not include a statement from Gary himself, leaving his understanding of the decision and subsequent conversations undocumented. Gary's removal occurred approximately four months after football coach Barry Shuford resigned and alongside Young's dismissal, making it the third varsity head-coaching departure documented at TJCA during the first five months of 2023.
What was established:
Gary loses the varsity softball head coaching position
The May 6 newspaper report establishes that TJCA removed Gary as its head softball coach. His dismissal was discussed during interviews with Young, Jones, and Cole. The article did not provide a detailed explanation of Gary's tenure, identify the administrator who delivered the decision, or describe the circumstances under which he was informed. It also did not independently establish why Gary was selected for replacement. Those gaps distinguish Gary's case from Young's, whose dismissal and the school's stated rationale were explored more extensively. The reporting nevertheless establishes that Gary's removal was part of the same period of athletic personnel changes. Historical MaxPreps records identify Gary as TJCA's varsity head softball coach during the 2022–2023 season. The same records also identify him as head coach during the 2018–2019 season, indicating that his coaching history with the school extended beyond the immediately preceding year.
Conflicting accounts concerning an assistant coaching position
One of the central details in the May 6 report concerned whether Gary had been offered an opportunity to continue working with the softball program. Young initially told the newspaper that Gary had been offered an assistant coaching position following his dismissal. That statement was significant because Young said he had received no comparable offer after losing his position as head girls' basketball coach. However, Jones and Cole disputed Young's description. They maintained that Gary had not been offered an assistant position. Instead, they said Gary had independently asked whether he could remain involved. Jones confirmed the school's account by stating: "OJ (Gary) asked to stay involved." The disagreement concerns who initiated the possibility of continued involvement and whether a definite position had been offered. Both versions acknowledge that Gary had been removed as head coach and that the possibility of his continuing in another capacity was discussed. But the newspaper does not establish that Gary received or accepted an assistant coaching appointment. Without Gary's own account, the circumstances of those discussions remain unresolved.
Was Gary affected by the on-campus coaching preference?
During the same investigation, Jones explained TJCA's preference for varsity coaches who also worked as school employees. He said the Academy's growth made it increasingly desirable for coaches to be available on campus throughout the school day. Jones described a goal of having on-campus coaches for the school's approximately 35 teams. That explanation was presented in connection with Young's dismissal. Because Gary was removed during the same period, the policy preference is relevant to understanding the wider context of the decision. However, the May report did not expressly establish that Gary was dismissed for the same reason. It did not identify whether Gary held another position at TJCA, whether his employment status affected the decision, or whether the Academy had applied the proposed staffing model consistently across its athletic programs. Those details would help explain whether Gary's dismissal was part of a coordinated staffing reorganization or reflected circumstances specific to the softball program.
Historical athletic records provide additional context
MaxPreps identifies Gary as TJCA's head softball coach during the 2022–2023 season. The team's recorded overall result that season was 0–16. The historical listings also identify Gary as head coach during 2018–2019, when the team finished 1–16. These records establish the program's reported competitive results during the listed seasons, but do not explain Gary's employment arrangements or the school's reasons for replacing him. The May newspaper article did not attribute his dismissal to the team's record. Consequently, the results should be understood as historical athletic context rather than a demonstrated explanation for the personnel decision.
Why it matters: Gary's dismissal is significant both as an individual personnel decision and as part of a period of broader turnover within TJCA's athletic department. Within approximately five months, the Academy lost three varsity head coaches. Barry Shuford resigned from the football program after publicly criticizing administrative support and the handling of player safety concerns. Brandon Young was dismissed from girls' basketball despite rebuilding a previously winless program and leading it to three playoff appearances. Gary was removed from the softball program during the same period as Young, although fewer details were made public about the decision. The May 6 reporting also shows that even the circumstances under which departing coaches might remain involved in other roles were subject to conflicting accounts. The disagreement between Young and school administrators over Gary's possible assistant position illustrates how difficult it can be to reconstruct personnel transitions when the affected coach has not provided a public statement. The central unanswered question is why TJCA removed Gary as head softball coach and whether his dismissal formed part of a formal athletic staffing policy applied across multiple programs. The available record establishes the decision itself, but the explanation remains incomplete.
Original evidence:
Jeff Rollins, The Daily Courier (Forest City, NC), May 6, 2023, p. A8, "TJ dismisses Young as head coach."Contemporary reporting documenting Gary's removal and conflicting accounts from Brandon Young, Athletic Director Steven Jones, and Executive Director Jason Cole concerning an assistant coaching position.
MaxPreps, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Softball History. Historical team listings identifying Gary as head coach for the 2018–2019 and 2022–2023 seasons and documenting subsequent coaching listings.
Subsequent developments: Historical MaxPreps records identify Donnie Dunkle as TJCA's head softball coach for the 2023–2024 season, following Gary's departure. Dunkle had previously been listed as head coach during other seasons, including 2017–2018 and 2019–2021. The available records therefore indicate that TJCA appointed a coach with previous experience leading the program. The reporting reviewed for this entry does not establish whether Gary ultimately remained involved as an assistant coach, whether he accepted another position at TJCA, or how his departure was communicated to softball players and their families. Nor has a formal school announcement been identified explaining the selection of Gary's successor or the reasons for the change. Those details would help place the decision within the Academy's wider approach to athletic staffing during 2023. TJCATruth.com welcomes historical softball program announcements, coaching rosters, athletic department correspondence, staffing policies, and other records concerning Gary's dismissal and the subsequent leadership transition.
Report from the community: The May 6 newspaper report preserves statements from individuals who discussed Gary's dismissal, but does not include a direct interview with Gary.
Brandon Young reported that Gary had been removed from his head coaching position and believed Gary had been offered an opportunity to remain as an assistant. Athletic Director Steven Jones and Executive Director Jason Cole disputed that description, saying Gary himself had requested permission to continue helping. These accounts provide evidence that Gary's removal and possible continued involvement were discussed, while leaving the precise circumstances of the conversations unresolved. The materials reviewed for this entry do not include Gary's own account or additional firsthand testimony from softball players, assistant coaches, or parents.
TJCATruth.com welcomes accounts from individuals involved with the TJCA softball program during the 2022–2023 season, particularly concerning Gary's coaching tenure, how his departure was announced, whether he remained involved with the program, and how the transition affected players and staff. Individuals with relevant firsthand experiences are encouraged to contact TJCATruth.com. Requests for anonymity will be respected, and identifying information will not be published without the contributor's explicit consent. All submissions will be handled with discretion and confidentiality.