Upstate NY Coach Fired After Viral Hair-Pulling Incident at Girls Basketball Final

Something went seriously wrong at Friday’s Class D girls’ state basketball championship game—in a now viral video, an incident between Northville’s head coach and a player led to Coach Jim Zullo being immediately fired.

The troubling incident happened during the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class D girls’ basketball championship game.

Northville Girls Basketball Coach Fired After On-Court Incident Caught on Camera

During the postgame ceremonies following Northville's 43-37 loss to LaFargeville at Hudson Valley Community College, a confrontation between Coach Zullo and one of his players was captured on the NFHS Network’s livestream. As the team stood near the bench waiting for the medal presentation, Zullo was seen yanking the ponytail of senior Hailey Monroe, the school’s all-time leading scorer. Monroe appeared visibly upset, and a teammate, Ahmya Tompkins—Zullo’s great-niece—stepped between them after the interaction. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting widespread outrage.

Northville School District Responds

In a public statement issued Friday evening, Northville Central School District Superintendent Sarah Chauncey confirmed that Zullo would no longer be coaching for the district.

“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 said in its official statement. “This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District.”

The district assured families and the community that it was taking the matter seriously,  and they would follow up with the players and their families to provide support.

Coach Zullo Responds

In comments made to NEWS10 ABC, Zullo claimed that Monroe had used an expletive toward him after he instructed her to participate in the customary postgame handshake. Zullo, who had come out of retirement to coach the Northville girls team, had been in his second season with the program.

Investigation Underway

Hudson Valley Community College released its own statement Saturday evening, acknowledging the incident and confirming that it is under investigation by campus peace officers and other law enforcement agencies.

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