Multiple sources have confirmed that Jim Reynolds was let go Wednesday after four seasons as East Haven’s boys’ basketball coach.

Reynolds, an East Haven resident, did not return a phone message seeking comment. East Haven athletic director Mike Marone refused to comment on the decision.

Reynolds, 57, who formerly coached at Wilbur Cross for 14 seasons and at Guilford for one, finished this past season at 4-16 at East Haven. He currently is the chairperson for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference boys’ basketball committee.

Reynolds won 254 games and six Southern Connecticut Conference championships while coaching at Cross.

For those who still want the parochial teams to be in their own tournament, this may be the next best thing.

The CIAC has put into affect for the 2013-14 season a new formula to determine how schools that draw from more than one district. That includes magnet schools, parochial schools, those with project choice and now including vocational technical and vocational schools like Platt Tech and O'Brien Tech.

And it is based just on postseason success, not enrollment.

For example, Trinity Catholic, which draws from more than one town with a Class S enrollment,  has made the state finals, in two different divisions, two of the last three years, and the quarterfinals in another. Trinity maybe moves up to Class LL.
Another example: Career was a state finalist in M two seasons a go, a Class L champion last year and a Class L quarterfinalist this past season. So look for Career to be in Class LL.

On the other hand, if reigning Class S finalists Granby and Weaver return again next season to the final, both, by this change, would remain in Class S for the 2014-15 season.

Joe Palladino of the Waterbury Republican-American and Ned Griffen of the Day of New London wrote articles pertaining how programs in their respective areas would be affected.

My initial thoughts: I think it is best for all parochial and magnet schools to be in the two highest divisions, period. I have always felt that way. With the success Immaculate and Captial Prep have had in Class S in multiple sports, I truly believe they should be moved up. And if teams make at least the quarterfinals for three straight seasons, small schools could move up TWO DIVISIONS.

But what I don't like is teams moving down, parochial, magnet or otherwise. Once you have had a certain amount of postseason success on a semi-regular basis, you should move up and stay there.
We all know which programs are rich in tradition in its respective sports. To see programs request to move down, or just be move down based on being bounced early from the tournament, or having a bad couple of seasons, is that necessarily fair t those teams in the other division?

Credit to the CIAC basketball committee for trying to come up with a fair option. You will never satisfy everyone. Even if the parochials had their own tournament, there would be complaints. Let's see if this new format has some success.