Curie Condors Basketball Team Plays For First Time Without Coach Mike Oliver After CPS Removes Him

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Curie Condors boys' basketball team won big in their game Thursday night, but without their leader, Coach Mike Oliver.

"We love him and we want him back," a parent said as she entered the school.

As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, Curie Metropolitan High School parents showed up to the school, at 4959 S. Archer Ave., and spoke out for their sidelined coach.

The Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday removed Oliver, after claims that he got into some sort of fight with a student.

"Right is right and wrong is wrong, but I don't think they had to let him go for that," said parent Michael Johnson. "He's a great coach. He's good with the kids."

"He was a mentor to my son, because I was a single parent at that time, and my son transferred in," said Della Lewis, whose son played for Currie, "and he was just a great coach for him. You know, I couldn't have asked for a better person to be his coach."

"I'm comfortable and I'm confident – I mean overly confident – that he'll be cleared of these charges; he'll be able to be back soon," said Darren Tillis, a friend of Oliver's.

Oliver built the Curie Condors into an elite basketball program over 28 years as head coach, with state championships and city titles. The No. 1-ranked team was back on the floor Thursday night without him.

"His supporters know that he didn't put his hands on anyone. That's not his style," said Curie parent Tainika Somerville.

CBS 2's De Mar spoke to Coach Mike on the phone. He said the allegation stem from his day job as a security guard at the curie.

"I'm their leader," Oliver said, "and you know, for them to have to deal with type of stuff, I think, is a distraction on the big picture."

"I've known him for 40-plus years," Tillis said of Oliver. "I know that he won't even put a hand on his own son Michael Oliver Jr., let alone to touch another parent's child."

"There's got to be more to this story and I'll just wait till the story comes out," Lewis said.

"We stand by him," added Johnson. "I wish he was back."

Oliver called the allegations false and the timing unfortunate. There was no word Thursday night on a timeline of the CPS investigation.