Bridgeport Football Coach to Officially be Named at BOE Meeting Feb. 20; Recommendation Made
By Jeff Toquinto on February 13, 2018
The question has been asked for months. It’s been asked of the media. And it’s been asked of Bridgeport High School Principal Mark DeFazio and Assistant Principal Matt DeMotto.
The question is a simple one: Who is going to be officially named the next coach at Bridgeport High School?
A season after long-time assistant John Cole served as the program’s interim coach, the school had to officially post the job. With the posting over and interviews complete, one thing is officially confirmed. DeFazio said a recommendation has been made.
One other thing has also been confirmed. DeFazio said three individuals applied for the position.
What isn’t know is whether Cole is one of the applicants. Cole said he wouldn’t comment on the status, which could involve him applying for the head job or waiting to go back to an assistant’s role, until after the Harrison County Board of Education acts on the recommendation by the BHS administration at its February 20 meeting.
The recommendation will be revealed on the agenda later this week.
“We’ll be expecting to officially announce the coach Feb. 20,” said DeFazio. “We can’t comment on who our recommendation is until after such time as the Board acts on it.”
DeFazio said all three applicants were interviewed for the position. DeMotto, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, joined DeFazio in the interview process.
“All three of the coaches have local ties,” said DeFazio. “All had various types of coaching backgrounds, bringing something to the table. I can say I truly believe all three would make good head coaches. However, it’s our job to find the one we think is the best coach that fits our program at this time and that’s the coach we recommend that coach.”
DeFazio said Superintendent Dr. Mark Manchin has to take the recommendation to the Board of Education during next Tuesday’s meeting. At that time, the elected board members have to approve the recommendation or they can reject it.
“For the most part it’s a formality,” said DeFazio. “I very seldom recall in all my time where they go against a principal’s recommendations; very few cases in fact.”
Cole filled in late last summer after Josh Nicewarner lost his coaching job, which is why the job wasn’t posted and Cole was named as interim. In his first year as a head coach after nearly 20 years as an assistant, Cole went 11-2 and led the Tribe to the Class AA semifinals where they lost to eventual state champion Bluefield.
Editor's Note: Photo shows BHS Principal Mark DeFazio, left, and Assistant Principal Matt DeMotto. Photo by www.benqueenphotography.com.
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