The head boys basketball coach of the No. 1 Class 2 team in the state is on administrative leave.

Crane coach Dale Lamberth was placed on paid administrative leave following a Crane Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. The board met in closed session with one item on the agenda. Board President Mark Lander says no votes were held in closed session.

“We did meet last night, we went into discussion to discuss a personnel matter,” Lander said. “The board did not take action of any sort last night.”

Superintendent Travis Shaw confirmed Thursday that Lamberth was on leave.

The Crane board of education’s policies allow Shaw to suspend employees without a vote of the board.

The policy states, “The Board delegates to the superintendent the authority to suspend any staff member for any legal reason in accordance with district policy and law. Action shall be taken when, in the judgment of the superintendent, the best interests of the school will be served by immediate suspension.”

Crane (18-2) is ranked No. 1 in the state Class 2 coaches’ poll released Jan. 28. The Pirates next game is scheduled for Feb. 3 at home against Sparta.

Crane High School Director of Athletics Bryan Harmon declined to comment on the coaching situation with the boys basketball team.

“Right now I can’t comment because it is a personnel issue,” Harmon said.

Lamberth, 30, is in the midst of his third season at Crane. He holds an all-time record of 66-12 with the Pirates.

Lamberth played for Missouri State from 2005 to 2008. He served as an assistant coach at Hillcrest before accepting the head coaching job at Crane in 2012.