Belfry Middle School basketball coach resigns following brawl

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)–Belfry Middle School’s basketball coach, Bobby Varney II, has resigned according to Pike school board attorney, Neal Smith. Smith says this comes after Varney’s coaching duties were suspended for his involvement in a brawl on January 7.

Smith says though Varney is not coaching, he is still teaching. Seven or eight other people involved in the fight, including referees, are banned from district sporting events for the rest of the season, according to Smith.

Smith recalls on January 7, Belfry was the visiting team playing Phelps. He says Bobby Varney and his brother Tommy, a volunteer assistant coach, were growing frustrated with the officiating. “At one point Coach Varney took the players into the locker room, essentially ending the game,” says Smith. He says that’s when the coach’s father, Pike County Magistrate Bobby Varney, started arguing with a referee. The heated discussion quickly spiraled, with others getting involved including Coach Bobby Varney and some of the referee’s wives, according to Smith. There was pushing and shoving, and Smith says Bobby Varney was eventually kicked in the head by a referee.

“The superintendent was appalled and very disappoint. Just like anybody else who watches this video,” says Smith. He continued to say there were dozens of other adults at the game behaving themselves, many who jumped in to break up the fight. Smith also confirmed one student was involved in the fight and will be punished by the principal. He says the superintendent hopes the disciplinary actions will deter this behavior from happening in the future.