Ray Gordon No Longer Oakton High School Softball Coach

Oakton High School softball coach Ray Gordon —  who has been with the Cougars in various roles for more than a decade — will apparently be absent from the dugout for the rest of the season.

A disagreement this weekend between Gordon and Oakton Director of Student Activities Pat Full ended in Gordon's departure from the team, sources say.

An email to Patch from a softball parent said Gordon told his team on Saturday he'd no longer be coaching the Cougars, who he led to the Virginia state tournament last year.

But how Gordon and Full reached that decision, and when, isn't clear.

Full told the Washington Post this weekend that Gordon resigned.

“We’re not the ones who made the decision to switch,” Full told the Post. “He resigned so I had no option but to move on so we can finish the season.”

In the same article, Gordon said he was prohibited from hiring a new assistant coach, an argument which underscored the pair's "broad philosophical differences."

Gordon and Full could not be immediately reached by Patch on Monday morning for comment. 

A new coach will lead the team in its Monday game against Broad Run, the Post reports.

Patch reported last year that then- senior co-captains Emily Corridon, Mandy Krage and Hayley French helped lobby to get Gordon the head coach position three years ago. Before that, he spent eight years as an assistant. 

Since taking over as head coach, Gordon has led the Cougars into the Northern Region tournament each season. Last year, Oakton reached the Virginia state tournament before falling in the first round.

Meanwhile, students and parents have taken to Twitter and email to react to Gordon's removal, calling for Oakton High to put him back at the head of the team.

(Read: Oakton Players: 'You're Not Firing Our Coaches Without A Fight')

The school community dealt with a similar issue in 2011, when

She was ultimately reinstated and continues to coach. This year, she was named to the Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.