Class D boys soccer beware: Jim Huntington is back.
More than four years after losing his job in Edmeston, the two-time Daily Star Coach of the Year will resume his career as a varsity boys soccer coach at 4 p.m. today. That's when Huntington will lead Schenevus into its season opener against Laurens in the first round of the Stamford Mayor's Cup at Archibald Field.
"It's great to be back," said Huntington, a Schenevus graduate who was fired from Tri-Valley League rival Edmeston five months after guiding the Panthers to an improbable Section Four Class D championship in 2005.
Huntington earned his first Daily Star Coach of the Year award in 2003, when Edmeston capped a 20-2-1 season as Class D state champions. His second Daily Star honor came in 2005, after his Panthers won the sectional crown that November as the eighth and final seed in the Class D tournament and finished 14-5-2.
On April 13, 2006, Edmeston's five-member board unanimously voted to fire Huntington for undisclosed reasons.
The Daily Star reported in May 2006 that Huntington said he believed he was let go because he contacted the future college coach of one of his captains, whose father served on Edmeston's school board. At the time, Huntington said he contacted the college coach for advice on how to discipline the captain for unacceptable behavior on the field.
"The intent was not to destroy or sabotage him. The idea was to help him out, so he could finish with a good year," Huntington said in 2006.
Huntington didn't coach again until 2008, when he took over the modified girls program at his alma mater.
"I enjoyed modified, but after you do varsity, there was a little more fire there," said Huntington, who coached varsity girls soccer for nine seasons at Cooperstown and varsity boys for four seasons at Cherry Valley-Springfield before starting at Edmeston in 2001. "I thought I would put in for the varsity (boys position at Schenevus) and I got it. So here I am. I'm back. I'm enjoying it."
Huntington replaces John Tauzel, who led the Dragons to a 4-10-1 record in his 10th season as head coach last fall.
"We all have known (Huntington) for a very long time and we know the quality of coach that he is, so when there was an opportunity for us to move him up, we jumped at it," Schenevus Superintendent Lynda Bookhard said. "John Tauzel contributed an enormous amount to our soccer program. We just went in a different direction. Sometimes you're not as fortunate as we are in Schenevus to have such good people to pick from."
Thomas Jory, the president of the Schenevus board, said Huntington's appointment was unanimously approved.
"I know he was very highly recommended for this and he has a lot of experience," said Jory, whose board also includes vice president Mary Dulkis, Dr. Kelly Gallagher, Douglas Gulotty and Matthew Sweeney. "We're just thrilled to have him coaching varsity. It was absolutely a unanimous vote."
Edmeston boys coach Ed Wheeldon said it's good to see Huntington running a varsity program again.
"I'm very happy for him because I know how much he likes the game," said Wheeldon, who was promoted from assistant to head coach at Edmeston after Huntington was fired. "To see him get another opportunity at the varsity level is great."
Edmeston athletic director Mike Clark agreed.
"Jim's a good soccer guy," said Clark, who in 2006 referred to Huntington's firing as a personnel decision based on discipline problems within the Panthers' program. "I think it's great to see him back, especially in the league. It will be good for Schenevus' program to have somebody who enjoys soccer so much."
Huntington said he will not be out for revenge when Schenevus visits Edmeston at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 17 for their only head-to-head meeting in the regular season.
"It was unfortunate and I wish it hadn't gone like that, but it did and I've moved on," Huntington, who will earn $2,082 this season at Schenevus, said of his 2006 firing. "I don't want to beat them more than anyone else. If it was the next year, maybe right after it happened, I might have felt like that."
Wheeldon said their Sept. 17 game will be a special event.
"I think we know each other pretty well _ definitely our strong points and weak points _ so I'm going to just approach it as another game," said Wheeldon, who added that Huntington persuaded him to take the Edmeston job. "It will be nice for him to have the opportunity to come back to that field and see that state championship sign on the scoreboard, though. It will be special to me."
Schenevus will compete in the East Division against defending T-V champion Cherry Valley-Springfield, Milford, Worcester and newcomer Richfield Springs. Edmeston will battle Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, Laurens, Morris and Franklin _ which returns to the league after a four-year hiatus _ in the West Division.
The Dragons also announced during their July 6 board meeting that Kerry Mason will coach the varsity and modified boys basketball programs this winter. Bookhard said last year's varsity coach, Tony Dilello, has moved to Massachusetts.
Former Morris varsity girls basketball coach Mason will earn $2,500 for coaching Schenevus' varsity boys and $1,244 more for heading its modified program, according to minutes from the July 6 board meeting that are posted online at www.schenevuscs.org.
Dean Russin can be reached at drussin@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 215.
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Huntington returns to varsity boys soccer today
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