WHEN LUDLOW Bernard announced he would step away as head coach of 2021-22 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions Harbour View at the end of last season, his assistant of five seasons, Sean Fraser, had high hopes of stepping into the role.
In a twist of fate, the former national under-20 standout watched as physical trainer Jason Henry was selected ahead of him.
He is aggrieved.
“When Mr Bernard announced he was stepping away, people inside the club, players and so forth believed I was the next man up, being his assistant for five seasons.
“Normally when a head coach steps away and having an assistant after so many years, automatically the assistant coach would step up to do the job.
“So when you hear that the physical coach is getting the job then you have to start questioning yourself. What have I done wrong? Or, aren’t I good enough? But clearly, if I was not good enough, I would not be at the club for five seasons,” said Fraser.
Outside of the decision, Fraser does not like the process that was chosen to come up with the new coach.
“Nobody interviewed me. Nobody said anything, and normally when a vacancy is open, you tell people and let them know.”
He continued that if there were other candidates for the job, Henry would not have been chosen because he doesn’t have the experience to be a head coach.
“If there were other candidates I should have been in it because apart from Mr Bernard, I have the highest qualification (at the club). Both (of us) hold a Concacaf B licence.
According to Fraser, Bernard spoke to him for a few minutes last week to ask if he was thinking about the job and he told him exactly how he felt.
While he cannot think ill of Henry’s appointment, Fraser believes ignoring him smacks of disrespect.
“I have no problem with Jason, we work well together. The problem I have is you are assigning a physical coach who has no experience at that level and you have an assistant coach who has played at the highest level and has coached at the highest level in the country with you and you bypass him. That to me is a disrespect and a slap in the face.
“Jason is very good at what he does. He knows the sport and knows the players. But to give him the head coach title doesn’t sit well with me.”
Frasers’ contract with the club expired recently and after the decision was made to appoint Henry, he called the club to inform them he would not be returning for the new season.
Since then, Fraser says offers have been pouring in.
“Three clubs have already contacted me locally, and one club in Central America, Allianza (El Salvador), one of the best clubs in Central America that I won the Golden Boot with.”
However, Fraser will still focus on his project with Hillel Academy.
“I want to thank the football club for believing in me and giving me the opportunity of coming through and making the best use of my craft.
“I have no beef with them. Everything is behind me. I wish them well and I am only going to focus on the future.”
Bernard is not shying away from the club’s decision and also insists there is no enmity with Fraser.
“Sean is more than welcome at Harbour View Football Club and we will always consider Sean as one of us.”
However, a Harbour View insider disclosed that although Frasers’ technical expertise is rated highly by the club, there are aspects of his management style it believed left him wanting as a candidate.
Fraser, an outstanding youth International, helped Jamaica qualify for the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Zealand and the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina.
He played locally for Harbour View and Portmore, as well as multiple clubs in the United States, Central America, and Asia professionally for more than a decade.