West High Won't Renew Boys' Basketball Coach's Contract

The Wauwatosa School District announced this afternoon in a press release that it will not renew the coaching contract of West High School boys varsity head coach Mike Landisch.

The district’s decision on extending  a contract for the 2011-2012 basketball season was based on an annual performance review.

The activities and athletics director for the district meets with each coach to review the season. According to the release, this review takes into account how a team performs in wins and losses but also includes factors such as how a coach interacts on and off the playing field with the student-athletes.

The decisions are also based on parent and player feedback.

The district said it made its decision to not extend Landisch's coaching contract based on concerns about Landisch’s performance as a coach.

Because this is a personnel matter, the district said it would not comment further on the specifics of Landisch’s performance review.

Landisch had brought his teams from the bottom to the top of the Woodland Conference since his first year, 2007-'08, when the Trojans ended their season at 5-16. In 2009-'10, the team put up a solid 17-7 season.

This year, the Trojans racked up a 15-11 record, 11-6 conference, and came within a game of going to the state tournament, losing to eventual champion Whitefish Bay in the sectional semifinals.

The district said it would begin the search for a new head varsity boys’ basketball immediately.