Parents and players urge Pascack Valley board to review varsity football coach after season of complaints
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Summary
Multiple parents and student‑athletes told the Pascack Valley Regional High School District board that program leadership fell short during a difficult season and asked the board to review or replace the head coach to restore discipline, safety and player development.
Bradley Ritu, a Hillsdale parent and longtime youth coach, asked the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education on Feb. 2 to “thoroughly evaluate” the district’s current head football coach and consider removal if warranted, saying the coach had not shown “the level of leadership, decision making, and professionalism that we expect for the young men in our community.”
Several student‑athletes followed during public comment with detailed examples. Student Colin McMorrow recounted an incident he attributed to the coach in which, he said, the coach told the team at halftime, “we are not winning this game,” and described a season of low motivation and weakening team cohesion. Another student, Brady McMorrow, said film sessions and post‑game reviews had become unproductive and pointed to in‑game breakdowns — including, he said, a drive played with only 10 players on the field — that he blamed on preparation and communication failures.
Sophomore Tyler Kim told the board many players had little or no direct interaction with the head coach during the season and said captains were left to enforce discipline. Senior Sadri Fairtovic raised logistical problems such as unclear helmet consent forms and last‑minute communications, and described a loss of Valley traditions during the past season. One student said he confronted the coach about comments and was told the coach denied making them.
Board members did not take action on personnel during the meeting; public commenters asked the board to investigate the issues and consider a coaching transition to protect player development and restore trust. The board thanked speakers for coming forward and encouraged continued engagement; no personnel votes or directives were recorded on the transcript during the meeting.
Next steps: The board did not announce a formal investigation or timeline in the meeting record. The comments are likely to appear in board minutes and may prompt follow‑up by administrators or a personnel committee at a later meeting.