Michael Kane is expected to be named the new head coach of North Hunterdon's baseball program.
According to a source, Kane may be approved at the next Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, June 21. He will succeed longtime coach Parker Snare, who guided the Lions for the past 32 seasons. According to athletic director John Deutsch in an e-mail sent to Open Mike on Thursday, both he and Snare agreed at the end of 2010 that this would be his final season.
At least one source has said that Snare, who resigned from the district as a health and physical education teacher after the 2009-10 school year, was forced out. Snare is currently on vacation and was not available for comment.
Kane, a special education teacher at the Hunterdon County school since 2002, according to his page on the school's web site, served as an assistant coach on Snare's staff during the 2011 season.
Snare guided the Lions to a 13-13 mark this past season and earned his 500th career victory in the team's 11-9 win over Montgomery on June 2. According to one source, Snare was told mid-May that he would not be brought back for a 33rd season in 2012. It was reported here several weeks ago that Snare may not be rehired for next season.
The former coach reportedly informed his team that he would not return next season after the Lions' 18-2 win over Hopatcong in the season finale on June 6.
Under Snare, North Hunterdon went 501-284-2 overall. This season, the Lions went 1-1 in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs -- beating Bayonne, 4-2, in the opening round before a 6-3 loss at Woodbridge in the quarterfinals.
It is a shame that "Coach" Kane would submit his name for the job if Parker was not ready to retire yet. I think that says it all about the soon to be coach at North Hunterdon. Parker built that place and deserved a much better ending. "Coach" Kane is not ready for the job because the way he went about getting it says everything you need to know about his maturity level
ReplyDeleteParker hired him as an assistant and then he does this...disgusting
I think hiring Michael Kane is a good idea. I love his performances, especially as Alfred in the Batman movies and in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
ReplyDeleteParker Snare is obviously a fine coach, but he's been there for 33 years!!! Get off the stage, and let the audience see the next act. I am a teacher and former coach, but I am tired of hearing coaches whine or complain when they are let go after so many years. THEY ACT LIKE THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THIS COACHING JOB.....IT'S A COACHING POSITION!! Some of these guys are angrier when something happens to their coaching position than with their teaching position. Parker did a GREAT job, and the Board went ABOVE AND BEYOND by allowing him to coach for one more year AFTER he retired. From what I read in the Express Times, Parker Snare did NOT sound very gracious when North decided not to rehire and go with someone else. If he was, the ET did not publish those comments.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Steve Shiffert is still the head football coach at Easton even though he retired from teaching last year. Steve Powell just retired from teaching this year, and I bet he'll stay on as head wrestling coach at Easton. Of course, we all know about Joe Paterno. I DON'T CARE HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY ARE....WHAT, YOU DON'T THINK SOMEONE ELSE CAN BE AS SUCCESSFUL???? No individual coach should be above a program.
So, Parker, congratulations on a great career. Now get off the stage and let the next act begin.
John Deutsch and Mike Hughes are gutless jokes. Period. You dont push out good coaches. If you have any courage and ability at North as a coach, they push you out because the administration gets threatened by strong men. This is a total joke, but nothing new if you look at the recent history of coaches at North.
ReplyDeleteThey push you out at North???? How do you figure that?? Dennis Haughey was head wrestling coach a long time, and THEN he became head football coach. Very, very few schools do that nowadays. Then, Hawk takes over and he was there a long time. I supposed he was successful with the talent he had, but I don't think he was all that great of a coach. Then, his assistant takes over. What about Tom Hank, the girls' basketball coach?? He's been there a long time, too. What about the softball coach?
ReplyDeleteI will repeat......PARKER SNARE WAS HEAD COACH FOR 33 YEARS!!!! C'mon. It's time to step aside. You honestly don't think another person can be successful? If anything, I think there's a monopoly on coaching at North. For all the snobbery that school has, they are just as much a bunch of good 'ol boys just like schools that are less affluent.
If John Deutsch and Mike Hughes are so "threatened," then the coaches I mentioned would never have stayed as long as they did. Give me a break.
Again, Parker, you retired from teaching and had an AWESOME coaching career. Enjoy your retirement and give someone else a chance.