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Does anyone have an update on the status of the Sayville varsity head coach? The Board of Education did not reinstate him and now the program is in limbo.

Any updates would be appreciated.

That guy was such a tool. Good riddance. The program will be fine.

So why will he be back?
If board choose not to reinstate him
Why would they change there minds

He won't be back. He essentially told the town that the board and superintendent were liars. They are steadfast in their refusal to bend on their stance.

If that is true I hope they find someone good to replace him. It's a pretty good program and you can't have some B of E, hand picked tool come in. (SWR 2 years ago). Going to be tough to get another coach to come in after the current coach was forced out.

Not really that hard. This is LI. It's not hard to find someone who knows the game. I don't really care because my son is a senior and he, along with many of the team, didn't like playing for him.

He has built a pretty good program. A couple of county championships and a Long Island championship. They are always in the mix. How is he a tool?

Exactly. Person calling him a tool probably has a kid that didn't get enough playing time!

No coach can make everyone happy! I know a lot of kids who loved him. He has been successful. I'm sure the kids who've won championships liked him and the many kids playing in college do too. What makes him a tool? Please don't say because he only plays his favorites because his favorites produce and that would be EVERY High School coach.

Most people in Sayville think very little of him. The exception being the starters on the team.

He won't be back. He essentially told the town that the board and superintendent were liars. They are steadfast in their refusal to bend on their stance.

Not really that hard. This is LI. It's not hard to find someone who knows the game. I don't really care because my son is a senior and he, along with many of the team, didn't like playing for him.

What does a BoE know about coaching lacrosse?

Not sure, but their responsibility goes beyond a mediocre lacrosse program. His actions repeatedly put the district in a bad position.

He put the BOE in a bad position by sending out emails to the lacrosse community when they tried to cut his and the JV assistant coach positions. The community turned out in force to the BOE meeting. They were definitely pissed off at that but reinstated the coaches for the season. After taking the team to the county final he was let go for ambiguous reasons. Everyone knows it's because he stood up to the BOE! Please correct me if I am wrong but that's NOT putting the District in a bad position.

He put the BOE in a bad position by sending out emails to the lacrosse community when they tried to cut his and the JV assistant coach positions. The community turned out in force to the BOE meeting. They were definitely pissed off at that but reinstated the coaches for the season. After taking the team to the county final he was let go for ambiguous reasons. Everyone knows it's because he stood up to the BOE! Please correct me if I am wrong but that's NOT putting the District in a bad position.

What about the PW coach? Why did he leave?? Who is going to take his spot??

Assuming part of it is to avoid coaching against his own kids at Syosset who are approaching the age to be on varsity in the next few years. Conflict of interest., etc etc

The BOE put coach D, the lacrosse program and the community in a "bad position" by trying to force him to coach a top level Varsity team without assistant coaches. The BOE should be ashamed. Name another LI program that doesn't have an assistant coach? I think the Board forgot who they serve-the Sayville community.

Where did this Port W news get announced?

The BOE put coach D, the lacrosse program and the community in a "bad position" by trying to force him to coach a top level Varsity team without assistant coaches. The BOE should be ashamed. Name another LI program that doesn't have an assistant coach? I think the Board forgot who they serve-the Sayville community.

Wow. There seems to be some strong feelings on both sides of this one. For what it's worth, he's not a bad guy. He just comes across as being an arrogant guy, but when he gets to know you that falls away. As far as his coaching goes, he's coached my son in PAL for the last few years. I think he puts people in the best position to do well, but he doesn't really coach in a traditional sense. He doesn't stop and teach kids what they're doing wrong, just basically tells them they're doing something wrong and expects them to fix it themselves. The BOEs problem with him had nothing to do with with that though. If we're being completely honest, he had been getting under their skin for awhile. Many people complained to the board for years that they thought they were bullied into playing on that God-awful Spartans team he ran. Word got out that if kids didn't play Spartans they would never start in HS. Trust me, my guy played for 3 years and finished last year. It was a money grab sham. No need to go into anymore detail, but most parents felt the same way. People have also been saying that there was also issues with him using the gyms and school grounds for non-school training without permits. That puts the district in a liability issue. I think the last straw was the meeting about the asst. coach. When the budget went down the year before, the board had to make some serious cuts. They told all of the varsity coaches that assistant coaches would be cut the following year and gave them plenty of time to find raise to keep them. Most of the other coaches did that. I guess he forgot and, at the last minute, told the town that he just found out. It was kind of sleezy and everyone showed up and made a classless scene. That's the main deal. Like I said, I don't have a problem with him. He coached my son and my son likes him. But a lot of what's been written here is not really truthful.

Wow. There seems to be some strong feelings on both sides of this one. For what it's worth, he's not a bad guy. He just comes across as being an arrogant guy, but when he gets to know you that falls away. As far as his coaching goes, he's coached my son in PAL for the last few years. I think he puts people in the best position to do well, but he doesn't really coach in a traditional sense. He doesn't stop and teach kids what they're doing wrong, just basically tells them they're doing something wrong and expects them to fix it themselves. The BOEs problem with him had nothing to do with with that though. If we're being completely honest, he had been getting under their skin for awhile. Many people complained to the board for years that they thought they were bullied into playing on that God-awful Spartans team he ran. Word got out that if kids didn't play Spartans they would never start in HS. Trust me, my guy played for 3 years and finished last year. It was a money grab sham. No need to go into anymore detail, but most parents felt the same way. People have also been saying that there was also issues with him using the gyms and school grounds for non-school training without permits. That puts the district in a liability issue. I think the last straw was the meeting about the asst. coach. When the budget went down the year before, the board had to make some serious cuts. They told all of the varsity coaches that assistant coaches would be cut the following year and gave them plenty of time to find raise to keep them. Most of the other coaches did that. I guess he forgot and, at the last minute, told the town that he just found out. It was kind of sleezy and everyone showed up and made a classless scene. That's the main deal. Like I said, I don't have a problem with him. He coached my son and my son likes him. But a lot of what's been written here is not really truthful.

As a Sayville resident and parent of kids in the program, I take offense to your declarative post. You make a lot of supposedly factual claims. As it was explained to me, the Spartans Lacrosse club was supposed to mimic Three Village (Ward Melville) and West Islip providing a program where the Sayville kids could play together and build chemistry and gel at all levels. It works for Ward Melville and West Islip. You can't be serious with the statement "It was a money grab sham.." Compare the pricing with LI Express and Team 91, the math is simple.

"Word got out that if kids didn't play Spartans they would never start in HS..." Again, you really can't be serious. Anyone who has kids involved in the program knows FACTUALLY that your statement is inaccurate. Just look at the roster last season.

Regarding the budget cuts, there was nothing "sleazy" done by the coach. I was one of the parents who helped organize a retort to the inane "justification" for cutting the few thousand dollars required to pay an assistant coach. Getting organized and presenting an opposing view was not a "classless scene". If you know the facts, you know I am right and our reasoning was also valid.

Once again, the majority of parents and players think the coach has done a phenomenal job over the past 15+ years and a few malcontents complain enough to force change when change is not necessary nor will it benefit the program. Mark my words.

As a Sayville resident and parent of kids in the program, I take offense to your declarative post. You make a lot of supposedly factual claims. As it was explained to me, the Spartans Lacrosse club was supposed to mimic Three Village (Ward Melville) and West Islip providing a program where the Sayville kids could play together and build chemistry and gel at all levels. It works for Ward Melville and West Islip. You can't be serious with the statement "It was a money grab sham.." Compare the pricing with LI Express and Team 91, the math is simple.

"Word got out that if kids didn't play Spartans they would never start in HS..." Again, you really can't be serious. Anyone who has kids involved in the program knows FACTUALLY that your statement is inaccurate. Just look at the roster last season.

Regarding the budget cuts, there was nothing "sleazy" done by the coach. I was one of the parents who helped organize a retort to the inane "justification" for cutting the few thousand dollars required to pay an assistant coach. Getting organized and presenting an opposing view was not a "classless scene". If you know the facts, you know I am right and our reasoning was also valid.

Once again, the majority of parents and players think the coach has done a phenomenal job over the past 15+ years and a few malcontents complain enough to force change when change is not necessary nor will it benefit the program. Mark my words.

Wow. There seems to be some strong feelings on both sides of this one. For what it's worth, he's not a bad guy. He just comes across as being an arrogant guy, but when he gets to know you that falls away. As far as his coaching goes, he's coached my son in PAL for the last few years. I think he puts people in the best position to do well, but he doesn't really coach in a traditional sense. He doesn't stop and teach kids what they're doing wrong, just basically tells them they're doing something wrong and expects them to fix it themselves. The BOEs problem with him had nothing to do with with that though. If we're being completely honest, he had been getting under their skin for awhile. Many people complained to the board for years that they thought they were bullied into playing on that God-awful Spartans team he ran. Word got out that if kids didn't play Spartans they would never start in HS. Trust me, my guy played for 3 years and finished last year. It was a money grab sham. No need to go into anymore detail, but most parents felt the same way. People have also been saying that there was also issues with him using the gyms and school grounds for non-school training without permits. That puts the district in a liability issue. I think the last straw was the meeting about the asst. coach. When the budget went down the year before, the board had to make some serious cuts. They told all of the varsity coaches that assistant coaches would be cut the following year and gave them plenty of time to find raise to keep them. Most of the other coaches did that. I guess he forgot and, at the last minute, told the town that he just found out. It was kind of sleezy and everyone showed up and made a classless scene. That's the main deal. Like I said, I don't have a problem with him. He coached my son and my son likes him. But a lot of what's been written here is not really truthful.

They actually did tell him that they JV coach was cut and that coach was informed months before. The Varsity asst. was a decision made in January early febraury of '15 and the coach was told in early Feb. When the budget was review the Varsity Asst. coach was in fact list in the budget, and should not of been cut. The animosity at the board meeting grew from the Superintendent for Business Rolling his eyes at the parent who pointed this out to him and calling him out on it. At that point it got ugly. The business super inflamed the situation with is attitude and led to the ugliness that ensued.

The Sayville Royalty post was spot on! These people consider anyone whose parents grew up outside of Sayville outsiders. They are cordial to their parents but do scheme against the kids. Nothing brings me more joy than to watch their children being dominated by such outsiders.Coach D is also considered an outsider and as such has never been liked by the Youth Lacrosse Board.They say he doesn't know about lacrosse...blah...blah..I tell them that you can't argue with success. They think that the Sayville boys are so talented that if we had a REAL coach we would win the County every year. Here's a tip our athletes are no better than the athletes in other towns! Some are great some are average and some are terrible. Just like everywhere else. It takes a good coach to recognize talent and to utilize it correctly in order to be successful. The man has been that! His crime was pissing off some suits on the school board because he stood up to them in the name of safety. I'll take a guy like that every time over some worm.