A high school basketball coach in New York by the name of Jim Zullo has apologised after being caught on camera pulling a player’s ponytail. The former coach of the Northville Central girls’ basketball team, was fired by the school after the incident, which occurred after their team’s 43-37 loss to La Fargeville in the Class D state championship on Friday.
The 81-year-old expressed deep regret over his actions, saying that he was sorry for what happened following the loss. He apologized to the player, Hailey Monroe, and her family, as well as to the Northville Central Schools and the community.
As per reports he stated, “As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry,” adding, “I wish I could have those moments back.”
Zullo also shared that he was grateful for the opportunity to coach the Northville girls’ team. He added,”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,”
Why did Jim Zullo pull players ponytail?
The incident occurred at Hudson Valley Community College after Northville’s loss, when the La Fargeville players were celebrating their win. Monroe seemed upset about losing the title game for the second year in a row when Zullo grabbed her hair. Another player, Ahmya Tompkins, tried to stop him from scolding Monroe.
The Northville district said it was “deeply disturbed” by Zullo’s actions and confirmed that he would no longer coach the team. Zullo had earlier defended his actions, explaining that Monroe had cursed at him when he told her to shake hands with the opposing team.
Zullo had previously been a successful boys’ coach for many years before taking over as the girls’ coach at Northville in 2023. He had accepted the position partly due to his wife’s battle with cancer, but sadly, his wife passed away during the 2023-24 season.
