Jim Zullo apologizes after a viral incident during the championship game

Jim Zullo, a longtime girls’ basketball coach in upstate New York, has broken his silence following his dismissal for pulling a player’s hair.

Zullo’s son, Sam, shared his father’s statement with media outlet WNYT.

“I deeply regret my actions after our loss to La Fargeville in the Class D state championship game on Friday night,” Zullo said. “I sincerely apologize to Hailey and her family, our team, the Northville Central Schools community, and everyone affected. As a basketball coach, it is never acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry.”

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Championship loss and regret

Northville High School fell to La Fargeville 43-37 in the title game.

“I wish I could take back those moments,” Zullo added. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached Northville’s girls’ basketball team for the past two years, especially last season, which was a challenging time for our family.”

Viral clip leads to dismissal

A widely circulated video captured Zullo, 81, walking up behind senior player Hailey Monroe, tugging her ponytail, and then yelling in her face. Monroe’s teammate quickly defended her, confronting Zullo in response.

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Monroe appeared emotional before and after the incident, as the team watched their opponents celebrate their championship victory. She had fouled out earlier in the game and is the program’s all-time leading scorer.

Zullo later claimed that Monroe directed an expletive at him, which led to the exchange.

District responds to incident

Following the video’s spread, the Northville Central School District swiftly terminated Zullo’s position.

“The district will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support and outline the actions we are taking in response to this incident,” school officials said.

Despite the controversy, Zullo expressed pride in his former team.

“I am incredibly proud of these young women and all they have accomplished,” he said. “I know they will go on to do great things, and I wish them the best.”

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