CHERRY TWP — Randy Armagost is apparently out as Moniteau High School varsity boys basketball coach, and no one is quite sure why.

Armagost won 171 games in 14 years with the Warriors and is the winningest coach in the school’s history. His teams reached the District 9 playoffs 12 times.

“They hired me back in March and they fired me in August when I was on vacation,” Armagost, 47, said.

High school basketball practice begins in a month, and Moniteau does not have a head coach in place. School board member Melissa DeMatteis said Tuesday that three candidates were scheduled to be interviewed that afternoon.

When asked if Armagost was one of them, Dematteis said “I don’t know their names. I was just told what times the interviews were.”

Superintendent George Svolos said the interview process is under way and “we hope to have a coach in place as soon as possible. We want to make sure we get the right person in place.”

Svolos described the change in boys basketball coach as “a district decision” and offered no further explanation.

School board member Joann Duke would only confirm that interviews took place Tuesday.

“This is a personnel issue, and we’re not permitted to comment on it,” she said.

While Armagost says he was fired, DeMatteis would only confirm the basketball job became open in August.

“That’s when the position was posted,” she said.

Moniteau assistant coaches Mike Jewart and Don Boben have been running open gyms this fall while the basketball coaching situation gets sorted out.

Jewart’s biggest regret is not knowing what to tell the players.

“They keep asking me about Randy and about who their coach is ... I don’t have any answers for them,” Jewart said. “Nobody’s telling me anything.

“I’m afraid we’re going to lose players over this. Three of our four seniors on the team have told me they won’t play if Randy isn’t brought back. We had a nice turnout for summer basketball, 18 or 19 kids, and 10 of them haven’t been around since this whole thing happened.”

Armagost spoke out against the school board’s decision last fall to forfeit the remainder of the 2012 football season due to a hazing incident on the football team. That was a decision the board later rescinded.

He said he believes the decision to open up his coaching position is a result of his comments last fall.

“I can’t think of any other reason for this,” Armagost said. “There’s been no complaints from any parent or player. Our numbers have been good, and our program’s been consistent.

“Some felt that as an employee of the district, I shouldn’t have said anything. But I also have rights to speak out as a taxpayer. That’s how I feel about it.

“I can’t figure out what’s going on here,” he added.

Svolos said, “Mr. Armagost is entitled to his opinions and feelings. I have no comment on whatever he has to say.”

Jewart said he wished Armagost was coming back.

“He did a fantastic job with the boys last year, not just teaching them basketball, but life skills,” Jewart said.

He added that he didn’t consider seeking to become Armagost’s successor because “it takes a dedicated individual with experience and knowledge to run a varsity program and I don’t think I’m qualified enough to take it over.”

Moniteau’s open gym participation has been primarily younger players.

“The older players are waiting to see who the coach is before they show up,” Jewart said.

DeMatteis said the board “has full confidence in the abilities of our assistant coaches to take care of the basketball program until we hire a coach.”

High school boy basketball practice in Pennsylvania is scheduled to begin Nov. 18.

“We know we’re pushing the clock,” Svolos said. “We’ll get this done. We’re going to hire the best person for our boys basketball program moving forward.”

Moniteau missed the playoffs last season with an 8-14 record, but won four of its last five games.