JV coach banned for making players lie on graves
MARCELLUS, N.Y. - The coach of a junior varsity football team has been suspended for making his players lie down in a central New York cemetery after a loss in an effort to motivate them.
The superintendent of the Marcellus school district outside Syracuse announced Thursday that coach Jim Marsh has been suspended for two weeks without pay.
Marsh's team was returning from a loss last Saturday when he had the bus pull over at a cemetery and told the players to lie down on the graves. The coach then talked to them about the importance of playing hard.
Marsh apologized to his players and their parents during a meeting Thursday night, telling them he was trying to inspire the team by borrowing from a scene in "Remember the Titans." (See video clip below)
"My only thought was to bring them to a realization of what a great thing it is to be able to play football with your friends, and how great it would be to work hard and triumph the following Saturday," he said in a statement.
In addition to his apology, Marsh also offered a donation.
"Upon my return I propose to donate whatever pay I receive from coaching football to St. Francis Xavier Church for the upkeep of their cemetery," he said.