Joe Osovet was fired as Heritage football coach after Blount County Schools said he did not follow concussion protocols with a football player during and after a road Region 2-4A game at Carter.
“Established concussion protocols exist to protect the health and well-being of student-athletes, and adherence to these protocols is not optional,” wrote Justin Ridge, Blount County Schools director in a school release on Nov. 6. “The professional judgement of athletic trainers and qualified medical personnel must be respected, and no athletic competition or outcome should ever take precedence over a student’s safety.”
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Heritage administration received a report that Osovet “attempted to exert inappropriate influence upon assigned athletic trainers and upon a student-athlete to circumvent concussion protocol,” according to a Blount County Schools report of findings and recommendations regarding the Osovet investigation.
Heritage won the game with Carter, 37-20, on Sept. 25. Osovet was fired as Heritage football coach on Oct. 20. He was put on administrative leave on Oct. 2.
Heritage finished the season 4-6 and failed to qualify for the TSSAA Class 4A football playoffs after the team was sixth in the eight-team region.
“The investigation determined that Mr. Osovet engaged in unprofessional conduct and insubordination, including actions inconsistent with the district’s expectations for protecting student-athlete health and safety,” Ridge wrote. “These findings are serious and do not reflect the standards of professionalism and accountability expected of Blount County employees.”
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Osovelt has received a three-day suspension without pay in addition to being fired as football coach. He will also be placed on a formal plan of improvement and be assigned to a position outside of Heritage High.
Osovet, who is a former Tennessee football tight ends coach, was hired in 2022 as a physical education teacher. He had an 18-27 record with the Mountaineers. Heritage has not reached the TSSAA football playoffs since 2016.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Blount County Schools release why former Heritage football coach Joe Osovet was fired
