Bruce Etheridge believed Temple High School officials weren’t allowing him the necessary time to address the needs of its students.

Because of that, the man who has led the Temple boys basketball program for the last 13 seasons resigned his position late last week.

Etheridge is scheduled to appear before the Marble Falls school board today to be approved as the Class 4A school’s new boys basketball coach.

In 18 seasons at Temple, including five as an assistant before being promoted to head coach, the Wildcats’ record was 376-232 with eight district championships and five district coach of the year awards for Etheridge.

In his final season, the Wildcats finished 9-21, missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

“I just felt like I wasn’t being utilized in a way . . . I just felt like I had more to offer,” Etheridge said Tuesday evening. “If I had additional time to mentor kids and meet with teachers, be in the hallways, be visible, I felt like I could resolve a lot of issues.

“I felt like I’d pretty much been put in a box and I’m not happy with that.”

Etheridge, who said he wanted to “address the front line issues that are paralyzing so many youths in Temple,” specifically requested an additional 55-minute conference period away from his physical education classes to mentor and motivate students, not just his players.

“I was never approached about a mentoring program,” said Dr. Robin Battershell, Temple ISD superintendent. “He requested another conference period and that request was denied. Due to budget cuts, we are not looking to decrease the number of classes for coaches.”

The opportunity at Marble Falls, which Etheridge said he rejected four times before finally accepting, was something he felt like he and his family couldn’t pass up.

“They offered me the opportunity to do what I do best and that’s mentor kids,” Etheridge said. “It really came down to being appreciated. They were embracing my family and my talents. I really felt like Temple wasn’t allowing me to be who I am.”

The decision to leave Temple after nearly two decades on the sidelines wasn’t an easy one. Etheridge, a 1981 Temple graduate, was a two-year starter at point guard, leading the 1981 Wildcats to a 29-9 record and a district title.

Etheridge said he sat down and made a list of 100 reasons to stay and another 100 to leave.

In the end, his heart told him it was time to move on.

“There were some crying times involved in that,” he said.

Despite his differences with school administration, Etheridge said he’s not exiting on a sour note.

“I leave with my head held high because I gave Temple the best that I’ve had to offer, and many families have benefited from my philosophy,” he said. “It has been an honor to serve the students of Temple.”

Reflecting on his time at Temple, the 2003-2004 season stood out most.

After a hot start to the season and an impressive 21-4 record, the Wildcats dropped four of their first five games in district play.

Etheridge called a team meeting and laid out how he believed the district race would play out. To the surprise of many of his players, Etheridge had the Wildcats claiming a share of the district title.

That 2004 team finished 27-10, losing in the Class 5A Region II quarterfinals.

“That team really overachieved,” he said. “That was really one of the most fun years I’ve had as a coach because we overcame so much adversity.”

As a player, Etheridge admittedly lucked into his first varsity basket competing as a sophomore.

A young Etheridge took a shot from the corner that tipped off the backboard - not a good start for his first varsity shot. But off the backboard, the shot ricocheted toward the rim and sailed through the net.

“I always look back at that and laugh at that bank shot from the corner,” he said. “If you ask me today, I’d say I tried to bank it. It really served as something to inspire me to continue on.”

The Wildcats return seven players from last year’s roster, including all-district selections Eric Valdez, D.J. Wright, Lache Seastrunk and Derek Davis.

Battershell said the search for Etheridge’s replacement has already begun.

“The job opening has been posted and when we begin receiving applications, we will begin interviewing for the job,” she said. “The disadvantage is that we’re getting in late on the hiring process.”