A Langhorne, Pennsylvania high school basketball coach who apparently head-butted a referee during a game has been put on leave.
Videos posted online show Neshaminy High School boys basketball coach Jerry Devine confronting a referee Tuesday night after he disagreed with a foul call. The team was trailing Pennsbury High School 46-42 with less than 40 seconds left in the game.
As Devine charges onto the court, another referee approaches him and the coach appears to head-butt the ref, knocking him to the floor.
Devine was ejected from the game.
The school district says in a statement Wednesday that the coach, who also teaches algebra and history, has been placed on administrative leave pending a review of the incident.
Watch the video below and tell us what you think.
https://twitter.com/WBCBSports/status/684613520860790785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
WHAT EVERY HAPPENED TO GOOD OLD SPORTSMANSHIP?
you can lump them all into one basket. Good sportsmanship doesn’t enter into the picture now, it’s all about money and winning.
90 days in jail will cure many of this guys problems. My questions – what would he have done if he were carrying a gun. He needs to be fired to demonstrate to the students the importance of fair play. At each game someone will win and someone will lose. This schools administrator need to do what is right.
the same thing he would do if he was driving a car!
I saw this video last night. I am an ex player and a coach of kids. I coach 8th graders. I simply emphasize to them and their parents that they have every opportunity to work hard and master their team chemistry and fundamentals at practice — then they might win they might not, but they will lose if they don’t do those items.
In the end, I tell them, when you are ready, you know you are ready and this gives you the best opportunity to play efficient, execute and out work your opponent — it’s not up to the coach ( me ) they need to go do that together.
So to,watch a coach head butt a ref, it’s disappointing to see. I am indifferent at all times to the outcome of a game. I know when my kids play well and have done their job and I know when they haven’t. That is what gets talked about at practice after the weekend games
That coach is wrapped up in the moment, the outcome, ego, about him not the kids etc. he needs to simply take a step back and ask himself what are the top,reasons he is coaching those kids and hopefully those reasons are about the kids —
He deserves a second chance, but this kind of instance can end someone’s coaching forever, so it can’t happen again.
– Matt Henn in Seattle
What is a “second chance” in this case ? This one event removes him from coach activity, and the pay that accrues to the position.
Now it makes people wonder how He treats his wife, children, neighbors, and let’s hope that He gets some much needed treatment to civilize his actions and behavior before He has Grandchildren, new neighbors or son-in-laws or daughter-in-laws. Now OBAMA will have to make a new law outlawing ‘The Coach’s Head Butt.’ with his pen and his phone. Someone check Obama’s numbers of deaths per 100,000 people compared to the world countries with total gun ban laws. Of course, His paying thugs to go into the towns to cause more rioting, stealing and destruction were certainly furnished guns by Holder and Obama. The National Guard could have blocked OFF ALL OUTSIDERS from entering the towns and riot areas. Scanned outsider ID would show who, what, where and when, for all newcomers headed for jails, and for paying for their damages.
As an official myself, I’m not shocked by this incident. The other comments are all valid too (in my opinion). Yes, the good ole days of sportsmanship and fair play are fading fast. Private schools (and especially those who are faith-based) have better behaved students and coaches in my opinion, but even then, some of each get too wound up and say or do something they wouldn’t normally do in normal life. Like some of us (me included) get when we drive and someone gets in our way or we’re just being overly aggressive because we’re late…….you can become someone very unlikable and 180 degrees from how you’d normally react. However, losing, a bad call or just wanting to win so bad it makes you CRAZY, in no way excuses bad and/or unsportsmanlike conduct…..EVER! And, if I were the administrator for this school, this coach would be either suspended indefinitely (maybe permanently) or dismissed. There’s ZERO room for conduct like this and there has to be consequences and a lesson taught/learned………..most importantly, to the impressionable players, students and other young people in attendance and/or watching this video. Physical assaults of sports officials (at least in my state) are felonies with VERY stiff penalties and steep fines. But, overall, they’re still on the rise and yes, I only see it getting progressively worse. One day there will be a coach, player, relative or fan shoot, stab, bludgeon or otherwise attack an official violently and it will be TRAGIC. In fact, if I recall correctly, a football or soccer referee was struck by an angry parent, fan or coach not that long ago and the official died from the trauma…….VERY SAD AND DISGUSTING! I have been threatened myself and I have my head on a swivel when I officiate……….Especially in certain schools, areas or ultra-competitive situations.
If coach Jerry Devine head-butted the referee, he should have been arrested at the scene and promptly jailed on the charge of assault. The referee´s spill on the hardwood floor could cause an elbow injury if not more. Removal of Devine from coaching duties and any association with youth at school-related activities other than classroom teaching and related duties is appropriate. He should be cautioned to refrain from discussing the event with anyone at school, and any apologetics on his part should be ignored. I would also investigate his interaction with the basketball team, as it is not likely that this was his first hostile event.