Chicago Public Schools fires sports director David Rosengard

Chicago Public Schools fired sports director David Rosengard on Monday afternoon. CPS confirmed the move to the Sun-Times on Tuesday but declined to comment further on the personnel matter.

Rosengard, who took over in June 2020, guided CPS Sports through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rosengard had multiple successes during his tenure. The Public League’s nomadic boys basketball playoffs found a permanent home at UIC under Rosengard, increasing attendance significantly.

His move to rotate the city baseball championship between Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate elevated the stature of Public League baseball. CPS Sports was also at the forefront of the girl’s flag football movement, instituting the sport long before suburban school districts.

Rosengard’s time in charge was mired by several basketball scandals. In March, five players Kenwood players, head coach Mike Irvin and two assistant coaches were ruled ineligible for violating Illinois High School Association rules.

Chicago Public Schools’ Office of the Inspector General presented evidence and documents to the IHSA on Jan. 25 that revealed potential residency rules violations for multiple Kenwood basketball players. The IHSA investigated further.

The CPS investigation showed that multiple players used falsified items, including utility bills, to meet Kenwood residency requirements. Players and coaches provided inaccurate home addresses.

Kenwood, the preseason No. 1 team in the Sun-Times’ Super 25, was allowed to play in the state tournament without the suspended players and eventually lost in the regional final.

Paris Martin, Phillips’ coach for the last two seasons, filed a federal lawsuit against CPS and several others in the Northern District of Illinois’ Eastern Division on July 8.

Martin, who led the Wildcats to the Class 2A state championship in March, claims that Chicago Public Schools has never paid him and that he has never officially been cleared to coach by CPS. The school district requires that all coaches pass a background test.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) spoke and posed for photos at a celebration pep rally on March 13. Johnson’s son attends Kenwood. So both scandals would have caught Johnson’s attention.

CPS has not named a replacement yet. The district also switched out Tony McCoy as the head of boys’ basketball. McCoy is now in charge of cross country, golf, wrestling and lacrosse. Laquandis Riley takes over as the head of hoops.