It’s too bad former Bremerton Superintendent Bette Hyde can’t be trotted out to fill the empty seat at the end of the varsity boys basketball bench.

After weeks of secretive meetings, and alleged non-disclosure contracts for employees, the school has come up empty trying to replace coach Casey Lindberg, who left for greener pastures over the summer.

This is the second recent flop the school has had with hiring, and firing, coaches.

First, Lloyd Pugh, longtime track legend and vocal critic of district bungling, gets sacked without an explanation to students and parents.

Now, the school’s successful basketball program, which went to state last year and sent a graduating senior to Seattle University’s squad, is heading back to the drawing board after district leaders failed to attract the right applicant.

Practice starts mid-November. The season starts in December. If a coach was hired today he would be under the gun. That’s if he was hired today, which isn’t likely to happen.

Lindberg isn’t an easy act to follow, and the school is right to protect a successful program. But to keep it successful, to continue the momentum Lindberg and the Knights started, the district better get on the ball.