BANGOR – More than 50 Bangor High School current and former female student-athletes and their parents turned out at a Bangor School Committee meeting Monday night to show their support for 12-year Bangor varsity girls soccer coach Jeff Ingalls and seek some answers as to why Ingalls’ position is open.

Bangor Superintendent Robert Ervin said the position is vacant but he has not advertised the job yet, either internally or externally.

Speaking after Monday’s meeting, Ervin said he had met with Ingalls last summer, during which time Ingalls retired from teaching physical education in the Bangor school system.

Based on their conversation in that meeting, Ervin said, the understanding he had was that Ingalls was going to coach the Rams for just one more fall season.

Ingalls said he was under a different impression.

“I thought it was open-ended,” Ingalls said by phone Monday night after the school committee meeting. “I didn’t know of any words or agreement that I wasn’t going to coach again.”

Ingalls didn’t attend the school committee meeting.

At the school committee meeting in the cafeteria of the Abraham Lincoln School, several of Ingalls’ current and former players fought back tears as they told the school board how much they want him to return as their coach.

“Aside from being probably the best coach I’ve ever had, I just think that it’s ridiculous not to let him come back,” said an emotional Laura Clarke, a 2004 Bangor High graduate who played varsity soccer for four years.

“I love that man and he loves all of us and he treated us like his daughters,” she added. “If he wants to come back, I don’t understand why he shouldn’t have the privilege to come back. He’s done so much for us as a soccer team, Bangor as a school.”

Other student-athletes said Ingalls is a big reason they keep playing sports.

“I’ve never had a coach like him before,” said Caitlin Smith, a Bangor High sophomore. “I don’t particularly like soccer, but he’s the reason I come back every year.”

Tina Curless, whose three children have attended Bangor schools, said the impression Ingalls makes on Bangor High student-athletes goes beyond what happens on the field.

“He has taught them that it is worth something to be part of something larger than ourselves,” she said.

Some of the parents of the current and former athletes questioned how seriously the girls’ opinions would be taken.

“I want you to know, I want them to know, I will consider what they’ve said,” Ervin said, responding to the parents.

“You’ve done the right thing,” chairwoman Martha Newman told the crowd. “You’ve spoken very well … all that will be considered.”

There were also several letters in support of Ingalls submitted to the school committee.

Fall sports coaches are typically hired at an April school committee meeting. At that time, Newman said, the board will vote on Ervin’s recommendations.

Ingalls, who coached the Rams to a 9-5 record last season and has coached a variety of sports at the high school for 18 years, said he will likely apply for the position when it is advertised.

“I’ve always applied for it. I don’t want to let it go and I would like to do it again,” said Ingalls, who was fielding phone calls Monday from some of those who had been at the meeting. “All I want to do is coach those kids again and be around their parents. It’s a special group.”