Gavit football coach Del Pittman had a conditioning session and 7-on-7 scrimmage scheduled for Tuesday evening when he was called into the office of assistant principal Michelle Biel.

At 2 p.m., Pittman said that he was told since he hadn't completed the practice test necessary to update his emergency teaching certificate he was asked to turn in his keys. Pittman, also the school's athletic director, said he was fired from both positions.

"They need to hire qualified teachers in the building, I understand that," Pittman said. "I was one test away. It wasn't that I wasn't trying to work on it, I was. But being AD and football coach, I put it off for a couple of months."

Biel did not return phone calls Tuesday evening.

Pittman was hired July 10, 2007 as the Gladiators' football coach, athletic director and physical education teacher. He taught two hours of PE during the school day.

He said he was told that his PE schedule had been filled by a new teacher, one with a complete teaching degree. The State of Indiana gives teachers three years to teach on an emergency teaching certificate, and Pittman said he was told by the principal James White that he had until the second week of August to complete the test.

"They've allowed me to work since our contract was up June 4 to now," Pittman said. "I've been busting my butt with 7-on-7, but they bring me in (Tuesday) and tell me I'm done. The only thing I can think of is that the assistant principal has someone else in mind. They gave her the authority to hire and fire."

Pittman had a 2-8 record in his only year with the Gladiators. He said his players were calling and texting him all evening with sorrow.

"I tell them to hang in there, to do the things they need to do and remember everything we taught them about being a good person," Pittman said. "It's about staying in school and trying to get into college and playing the game they love. It's about being a good person. To hear them say they'll transfer to Lew Wallace and Morton and one mom is going to take her kid to Simeon, it probably isn't going to be the end of it."

Pittman said that since his remaining coaches weren't teachers, they left with him and there is no interim coach in place at the school. He added that he knows of a number of other teachers in the School City of Hammond working on emergency permits.

"All I can say at this point is there are a lot of people working on the licensing issue in the school city," said Theresa Mayerik, Hammond's director of curriculum and instruction for the secondary schools. "As far as I know nothing is official. Yes, he's gone. Unfortunately I can't say anything is official at this time because he could be back tomorrow."

"If they call me up tomorrow, it would be kind of hard to do," Pittman said. "They only want me back because they feel pressure. God's got a better place for me."