NJ.com
Coach Resigns After School Won’t Fund Off-Season Weight Program
February 15, 2011 /
In his letter of resignation, Blunda cited family reasons, but today the 39-year-old Bayonne High School business teacher said the main reason for leaving was a Board of Education decision to eliminate funding for the off-season weight training program for football players.
In March, the Board of School Estimate passed a belt-tightening $115.6 million budget for the 2010-2011 school year, a reduction from $120 million the previous year after Gov. Chris Christie announced that he was slashing aid by $5.3 million.
Blunda said he didn’t want to accept the arrangement offered by the school, where different coaches would train the kids on a voluntary basis.
Blunda, a Bayonne native who lives in Monmouth County, said with two young children it did not make sense for him to commute daily without compensation.
He said he made his decision to quit after two unsuccessful appeals to the Board of School Estimate to restore funding for the program.
He said he is most upset that after the last two seasons in which the Bees finished with a 1-9 record in 2009 and 3-7 in 2010, he will not be working with the 18 players who would be returning next year as seniors.
“I did not want this. My plan was to remain as head coach,” Blunda said. “I talked to the kids about my situation and told them I did not think it was fair for them to run the program at arm’s length. The head coach has to be present every day, in my opinion. I think they understood.”
Blunda received compensation for 10 to 12 hours a week for running the program from January to the end of July with weight training, stamina, footwork, and in the summer, offense and defense training.
Dr. Michael Pierson, the Bayonne district’s athletic director, said that he is accepting applicants for the head football job until next Monday. Candidates must hold a teaching certificate, he said.
“We had a well-run operation with coach Blunda,” Person said. “Academics was always his priority and paramount for the students.”
In 2008, his team qualified for the state tournament. He finished at Bayonne High School with a 26-34 record since becoming head coach in 2005.
