Mass resignations in Holmdel High School football program ( Over Disruptive Student/Player)

Newsday ^ | 10-27-2005

[Cagey]

HOLMDEL, N.J. -- The head coach of the Holmdel High School football team, Joe O'Connor, has resigned along with all nine assistant coaches over what O'Connor says was an undermining of his authority by the school administration.

O'Connor quit Monday, saying the administration had reinstated a player after the coach made him leave the team over discipline problems. On Wednesday, nine assistant coaches decided to resign from the team as well in a show of solidarity with O'Connor.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

where he can complain to the college coaches, argue, break team rules and generally be coddled as long as he produces..then when he's not drafted (he certainly isn't going to get an education), he's a dishwasher someplace or winds up dead..then the parent sues because discipline wasn't instilled in him at the high school level..

[not_apathetic_anymore]

NINE assistant coaches in high school????

Things have sure changed since the stone ages when I that age.

[Calpernia]

Someone should tell Swider she is no Goldie Hawn.

Clip from APp link:

Holmdel Principal Cheryl Swider will serve as the team's head coach, and vice principals Bill Loughran and Richard Coppola will assist in tonight's game, according to interim Schools Superintendent Mark Franceschini.

At an emergency meeting Thursday, the school board took less than 10 minutes to appoint a dozen new assistant coaches and accept the resignations of all 10 of the team's paid staff, including former head coach Joseph O'Connor, who resigned Monday over a flap with the board.

O'Connor's resignation triggered a chain reaction resulting in the team's nine assistant coaches abruptly quitting two days later.

The new assistant coaches, the majority of whom are parents of current football players, were recommended by high school Athletic Director Laurie Cancalosi after each volunteered Thursday. Their unpaid appointments are effective immediately, according to the resolution.

"The game will go on,'' Franceschini said. "The show must go on.''

All three resolutions accepting the resignations and appointing the new assistant coaches were passed unanimously, with board members Susan Howard and Mary Hartnett absent.

[Born Conservative]

Thanks for the ping.

In the small town I live in, football is the ONLY thing that matters to many of the people (not me). Many of the hirings in the school are former football players, the coach at one point made more money than the superintendent (the coach also has a car from the school that he uses for personal use, and a credit card for gas), and the football program pretty much has carte blanche with their budget, while the district teeters on the verge of bankruptcy.

In our school, if a football player had discipline problems, the main factor on how it would be handled would be his value to the team. If he was a star, it would be swept under the carpet. If he was a bench warmer, he would be considered more expendable. The whole situation is sickening.

[Mathews]

AND BUMP TO YOU GOOD PERSON! BRAVO!!

[The Great RJ]

...nine assistant coaches...

I think that is a problem in and of itself. How many English, science or foreign language teachers are there at this school? It would appear that football is a major priority and the mindset of winning at all costs is predominent. It should be no surprise that unchecked unruly behavior by the "student" athletes is problem just as it is in big college football and even the pros (e.g. the Minnesota Vikings love boat cruise).

[dmz]

running backs coach
receivers coach
linebackers coach
defensive backfield coach
defensive line coach
offensive line coach
qb coach
offensive coordinator
defensive coordinator

It does seem a bit much for high school, but I've yet to hear the Ohio freepers comment yet.

I went to college in the middle of nowhere in the middle of Ohio, and every little town you'd drive through on Friday night had a huge football stadium.

[leadpenny]

Go (insert mascot name of high school playing Holmdel) !!!!


Hit 'em again, harder, harder!

[nonliberal]

I bet the disruptive player rushes for 200 yards per game.

If it was anything like the High School I went to, the kid probably sucked, thought he knew everything, but still started because his parents were wealthy.

In the meantime all the good athletes were sitting in the stands because their parents weren't rich and thus they were not on the team.

[bonfire]

Ditto. See my post above.


Our school system in TX couldn't afford books for all the kids, but by golly, they built and INDOOR practice field for the football players!

Here in Ohio we have a school levy on the ballot. They are threatening that if it doesn't pass, sports will be the first to go. Uh huh......... Never happen.

[yarddog]

High school football has gotten a little too big when you have a head coach and nine assistants.

I went to a medium large high school and we had a head coach and three assistants. All of the assistants were head coaches in some other sport. Of course this was back in the 60's.

[yarddog]

Should have read the entire thread before posting. I see others already pointed out the number of assistants.

[noname07718]

He sure wasn't a star if Red Bank Catholic beat them. RBCH has been fielding so-so teams for years. I haven't been following local sports lately. Have the "Caseys" gotten better recently??

Where is Don Spock when you need him.

[devane617]

OK, so why don't the math/english/reading teachers do the same thing? I suspect id discipline is so bad that a fb coach resigns, just think what it must be in class.

[ASA Vet]

This is when the fired employee goes home, grabs a 9mm, returns to the job, and starts firing away

Choosing a caliber not starting with a .4 or .5 is proof positive he's a loser.

[yarddog]

If it was anything like the High School I went to, the kid probably sucked, thought he knew everything, but still started because his parents were weal

It was like that when I was in high school to some degree. If you were good enough, you would start no matter who you were. There were two or three who were starters because of who their parents were tho.

[The Red Zone]

The new assistant coaches, the majority of whom are parents of current football players, were recommended by high school Athletic Director Laurie Cancalosi after each volunteered Thursday.

Well if the brat is troublesome to the rest of the team, these parents will now be able to see it for themselves.

[DTogo]

Good job, Coach! Rules are rules!

[Kenton]

That shouldn't make a difference.

Only to people who care whether or not the team wins. It looks to me like the team loses all the way around - no real coaching staff, just substitutes with no experience, loss of respect for the coaches' authority, and for what?

They should have stood by the coaches instead of caving to the kid.

[tickles]

I'd kinda like to be around to listen to all the griping and arguing between all the assistants (parents) I'd say things around the bench have the potential to be very very 'explosive' lol Ya really gotta wonder exactly what the board was thinking by appointing parents as assistant coaches.