Hall of Fame NY Coach Fired After Incident

Jim Zullo, the high school girls' basketball coach at Northville Central School District in New York, was fired following an incident where he was caught on video pulling a player's ponytail after a state championship game loss. The incident involved senior player Hailey Monroe, who allegedly directed an expletive at Zullo after he instructed her to shake hands with the opposing team. Despite Zullo's apology expressing regret for his actions, the district condemned his behavior as unacceptable and decided he would no longer coach there. Videos of the incident went viral, sparking widespread outrage and discussions about appropriate conduct in sports settings. Zullo, a Hall of Fame coach with a long career, had been leading the Northville girls' team to state finals successively since 2023.