Why was high school coach Jim Zullo fired? Looking at women's basketball coach's viral act

A viral video of girls varsity basketball coach Jim Zullo has sparked widespread concern and outrage. The incident occured after Northville’s six-point loss to LaFargeville Central School District in the Class D New York State championship.

Zullo was seen pulling a player’s ponytail, who looked visibly upset. He also seemed to be scolding her after grabbing her hair. Another teammate intervened and pulled the girl aside while she confronted the coach.

The incident was first shared on Facebook by Alyssa Leroux, who shared a video of it on Facebook.

“I just felt terrible for the girl,” Ms. Leroux told the New York Times. “I mean she just played her heart out.”

“You can’t do things like that when you’re an older man with a young kid,” she said.

Following the game, the Northville Central School District released a statement expressing that they were “deeply disturbed” by the coach’s actions and confirmed that he would no longer be coaching for the district. Superintendent Sarah Chauncey later announced that Jim Zullo’s service with the district had been officially terminated.

Zullo later told News10 ABC that the player had used an expletive toward him after he instructed her to shake hands with the opposing team. However, this explanation failed to justify his actions.

Northville’s Championship run ends in controversy around Coach Jim Zullo’s misconduct

Northville’s girls basketball team fell short in the Class D state championship. The team lost 43-37 to La Fargeville. The team struggled offensively, shooting just 25% from the field.

“You have to make some jump shots,” Zullo told Times Union after the game. “That’s what it boils down to.”

Despite being on the losing end for most of the game, Northville scored two points with 2:48 left, but La Fargeville’s Emeline Barton, who scored 25 points, delivered in the clutch.

“Somebody needs to go out and make a play,” Red Knights coach Zack Steiner said. “And we got one from Emmy.”

Northville’s Hailey Monroe, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and five steals, was fouled out with 55 seconds left, stopping the team's defensive efforts.

“That didn’t mean anything,” Zullo said. “It was the rest of the game where we needed to make some baskets.”

While the game was a tough loss, Jim Zullo’s actions after the match made headlines. Northville’s championship journey ended not just in defeat but in controversy.