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USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
High school basketball coach fired, cited for harassment after pulling player's hair
High school basketball coach fired, cited for harassment after pulling player's hair A high school basketball coach from a small upstate New York town made national headlines this week after he was caught on camera pulling a teenage player's hair. Jim Zullo, 81, came out of retirement in 2023 after a prolific career that landed him a spot in the state hall of fame to coach the Northville High School girls' basketball team. The incident occurred on Friday at the girls' basketball Class D state championship. The Northville Falcons lost 43-48 to the La Fargeville Red Knights, upsetting senior Hailey Monroe, who was seen crying on the National Federation of State High School Association's livestream of the game. Upon seeing her emotional state while the teams waited for medal presentation, Zullo responded by grabbing Monroe's ponytail and yanking it before seemingly scolding her. Another player can be seen in the video intervening, putting herself between Zullo and Monroe. The second player, who Albany-area news outlet WNYT identified as Zullo's niece Ahmya Tompkins, and the coach can then be seen exchanging words. Here's what we know about the now-viral video. Who is Jim Zullo? Jim Zullo began coaching more than four decades ago, having been inducted into the state Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. He spent 26 years at Shenendehowa, winning the state title in 1987. Zullo has been part of New York High School basketball for more than four decades, retiring in 1999 only to come back to coach in 2023, when he began coaching the Northville High School girls' basketball team. He amassed more than 500 wins in his career, leading the Falcons to the state championship game two years in a row after coming out of retirement. See video of the incident Northville High School girls' basketball coach Jim Zullo pulled player Hailey Monroe's hair after their loss in the New York Class D state championship game. The school district released a statement that the coach was promptly fired and would never coach in the district again.… — Just Women's Sports (@justwsports) March 24, 2025 Zullo apologizes, says he regrets behavior On Sunday, Zullo issued a public apology to WNYT. He also told News10 that the player had uttered an expletive toward him when he told her to shake opponents' hands after the game "I deeply regret my behavior following the loss to La Fargeville Friday night in the Class D state championship game. I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community. As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry," Zullo's statement reads. "I wish I could have those moments back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached girls basketball at Northville the past two years, especially last season, which was a difficult time for our family. I am super proud of every one of these young women and what they accomplished. I know each of them will go on to do great things and I wish them well." Zullo fired, cited for harassment Zullo was fired after the video began gaining wider attention. The Northville school district posted a statement on Sunday, saying it was "aware of, and deeply disturbed by," Zullo's behavior. "We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable," the statement continued. "The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve. This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District." Hudson Valley Community College, where Friday's game was played, is investigating the incident along with local law enforcement, according to a Facebook post made by the college's public safety department on Saturday. Another statement posted Monday said a complaint for second-degree harassment had been filed on Sunday and Zullo was issued a court appearance ticket. The charge is a misdemeanor. New York State Public High School Sports Athletic Association releases statement The New York State Public High School Sports Athletic Association also issued a statement Monday. 'The NYSPHSAA commends the swift action taken in response to this incident, including the immediate termination of the coach involved," executive director Dr. Robert Zayas said. "At NYSPHSAA, we uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship, respect, and the well-being of our student-athletes. It is unfortunate that this incident has diverted attention from what should be the primary focus — the incredible achievements and dedication of the student-athletes throughout the season. Their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence deserve to be celebrated as the true representation of high school athletics.'
Fox News
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
New York girls' basketball coach cited for harassment after pulling player's hair during state final
A New York high school girls' basketball coach, who was fired over the weekend for pulling the hair of one of his players after a loss in the state championship game, was cited this week for harassment in the second degree, according to officials. Jim Zullo, 81, was fired from his job as head coach of the Northville High School girls' varsity basketball team on Sunday after he was caught on video pulling the hair of a player, Hailey Monroe, after the Falcons lost the Class D state final to La Fargeville Central School on Friday night. The Northville Central School District released a statement announcing the decision, and said it was "deeply disturbed" Zullo's actions. "We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable. The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve. "This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District," the statement continued. "We assure the public that this matter is being taken extremely seriously, and the District is actively addressing it. The District will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support and outline the actions we are taking in response to this incident." The incident occurred when both teams lined up for the post-game ceremony, which included handshakes between the players and an award presentation at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. On Monday, the Hudson Valley Community College Department of Public Safety released a statement confirming that Zullo met with officers and was issued an appearance ticket for harassment in the second degree. He will be due back in court at a later date. Zullo issued a statement over the weekend apologizing for his actions. "I deeply regret my behavior following the loss to La Fargeville Friday night in the Class D state championship game. I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community," he said in a statement obtained by WNYT. "As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry. I wish I could have those moments back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached girls basketball at Northville the past two years, especially last season, which was a difficult time for our family. I am super proud of every one of these young women and what they accomplished. I know each of them will go on to do great things and I wish them well." Zullo had previously won a state championship with the Shenendehowa High School boys' basketball team in 1987 and had advanced to the state final in each of his two seasons with the girls' team at Northville. He took the job there in 2023 at the urging of his wife, who was battling cancer at the time. She passed away during that season. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
NBC News
23-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
Girls basketball coach in upstate New York fired after pulling player's ponytail in angry confrontation
A high school in upstate New York fired its Hall of Fame girls basketball coach over the weekend after he violently yanked the ponytail of his star player and then appeared to berate her following an emotional loss. The ugly incident unfolded after Northville High School lost to La Fargeville, 43-37, in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D finals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Northville's Hailey Monroe, the Falcons' star senior who scored 12 points in the final, was standing with her teammates after the game and appeared to be crying in the wake of the emotional setback. That's when cameras captured Falcons coach Jim Zullo coming from behind and pulling Monroe's hair. Zullo appeared to yell at Monroe before a teammate, Ahmya Tompkins, intervened. Tompkins also happens to be the coach's great niece, T he Daily Gazette of Schenectady and other local news outlets had previously reported. 'The Northville Central School District is aware of, and deeply disturbed by, the conduct of the Coach of the Girls' Varsity basketball team during the Class D New York State championship game,' the school district said in a statement posted to social media on Saturday. 'The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve. This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District.' Zullo was unable to be reached for comment. Members of the district's board of education declined to comment beyond the social media statement. 'This is now a personnel matter,' board President Carolyn Wilcox wrote in an email. 'We are turning our attention to our young athletes to ensure their wellbeing at this very difficult time.' Zullo is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, having previously led Shenendehowa High School to the large school Class A state title in 1987. He reportedly came out of retirement at the encouragement of his wife, who died last year after a yearslong battle with cancer. 'She was my dad's biggest supporter and biggest fan,' his son Sam Zullo, who also coached a girls basketball team in Connecticut, told T h e Associated Press. 'She was my biggest supporter and biggest fan.'
