Hall Of Fame High School Basketball Coach Fired After Pulling Player's Ponytail In Outrageous Scene

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A high school girls' basketball coach in New York has been fired after being seen on video pulling the ponytail of one of his players.

Jim Zullo, now the former head coach at Northville High School, pulled Hailey Monroe's hair following the team's loss in the Class D state championship game to LaFargeville. Monroe, a senior and the program's all-time leading scorer, had fouled out of the game. 

The video shows Monroe already emotional given the loss in what will be her final high school basketball game. Zullo yanks her by the hair before shouting something at her. One of Monroe's teammates did her best to get between the two, but she too got an ear full from the coach.

Zullo, a New York State Basketball Hall of Famer, claimed in a statement to NEWS10 ABC that Monroe swore at him after he directed her to shake hands with the opposing team, which prompted his reaction.

Not long after the incident and video went viral across social media, the district released a letter to the school community announcing Zullo's departure.

"The Northville Central School District is aware of, and deeply disturbed by, the conduct of the Coach of the Girls’ Varsity basketball team during the Class D New York State championship game. We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable.

The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve. This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District."

A coach putting hands on a player is never the choice. A coach putting hands on a player at the high school level, especially in this situation with a male coach confronting a teenage girl, is a very easy way to lose a job in a record-setting speed.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.