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Embattled Newburgh Free Academy varsity football coach Bill Bianco has been reinstated, along with his assistant coaches who were dismissed after a months-long investigation into a fighting incident between players late in the 2024 season.
Bianco took swift action upon hearing about the October fight which resulted in injuries to a student, and suspended a number of players before a late-season game with Kingston. Nonetheless, school officials had Newburgh forfeit a non-league game to Our Lady of Lourdes and then forfeited a Nov. 8 playoff game with Middletown, thus ending the season.
Bianco and his staff were relieved of their coaching duties on February 26.
What followed was weeks of backlash from the community, against acting superintendent Dr. Lisa Buon - herself embroiled in a number of controversial matters before the district - and the Newburgh school board. Handfuls of concerned parents, supporters and athletes rallied behind the coaches during public discussion forums before the board.
Following weeks of backlash from the community, the school board of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District on Tuesday evening voted unanimously to reinstate Bianco and his assistant coaches.
"Thank you, school board,'' shouted one woman in the crowd. Many in attendance applauded the decision.
Outspoken supporter Matt Lawrence - the team's public address announcer for over 30 years - pointed out the failures of the district and board that led in part to the incident in what was supposed to be a locker room closed for lengthy renovations. He blasted the district and athletic director Christian Hodge for creating a situation where more than 100 athletes were left without a locker room in the midst of the season. He blamed the lack of school security for areas that were sure to have athletes during certain portions of the day.
"This district's corrective action plan now consists of blame the coaches for the lack of supervision, cancel this season and punish the players for the actions of a few,'' he told the board meeting. "Every single person standing or sitting in front of me has some responsibility for the failure in this incident. To lay blame solely on the football coaches is unjustified ... there is plenty of blame to go around.''
Lawrence cited the poor legal counsel at the school since the 2011 boys basketball scandal, where coaches and teachers were accused of signing off on no-show student-athletes, and took the district to task over a recent string of controversial issues that have roiled the district.
"Until this day, we were one (public relations) nightmare after another,'' Lawrence said.
"Make this a teachable moment and put back the coaches, who have also learned from this,'' Lawrence said before the vote. "We can all do better, but blaming the coaches for the district's lack of planning is not the answer.''
In November, a source said the incident started as a "rap battle,'' where participants insult one another through rapping. The act got out of hand, and several teammates stepped in to either help or break up the confrontation. "It literally wasn't more than one incident,'' the source said. At first only the players directly involved were suspended by the coaches but additional players - believed to be up to eight in all - were subsequently penalized by school officials for merely going into the locker room at that time, captured on video surveillance.
Bianco was asked for comment but did not reply.
Parent Jim Rafferty praised Bianco's character for fostering a youth football program that thrives to this day and feeds the NFA teams with athletes. He praised Bianco for instituting strict school attendance and performance policies and creating weight-training programs to foster growth.
"Over the years, this pattern would shape these young men into football players,'' Rafferty said.
Reading a letter from his son, Tyler, a senior football player at Army, the younger Rafferty said: "As a former player under the head coach, I can say unequivocally that he is the best thing to ever happen to Newburgh football. The head coach consistently goes above and beyond his duties as a coach, treating every player as if they were his own child. His dedication extends far beyond the football field.''
"I'm a witness to the small things that our staff does to make a difference in this community, building a genuine camaraderie among families and players,'' noted Justin Barnwell, parent of player Jaieson Barnwell, who was originally going to play at Iona Prep but chose NFA instead because of the coaches. "Coach B and staff has positively influenced many young players and coaches.''
"These coaches helped a lot ever since I was a little kid,'' said sophomore Nyer Johnson. "I just really hope ... we get these coaches back.''
Bianco took over for the retiring C.T. Chatham ahead of the 2009 season. In 2011, Newburgh won the Section 9-AA title and eventually lost to Orchard Park in the state final. In 2014, the Goldbacks lost to Jamestown in the state AA final. In 2022, Newburgh lost to Lewis Bennett in the state AA final. Newburgh won additional sectional titles in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
[email protected]
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
Year - Overall (league)
2009 - 7-2 (3-1, second place; section semifinalist)
2010 - 4-5 (2-2, third place)
2011 - 10-2 (3-1, T-first place; state finalist)
2012 - 6-3 (2-2, T-third place)
2013 - 8-2 (3-1, second place; section finalist)
2014 - 10-3 (3-1, second place; state finalist)
2015 - 8-3 (3-1, second place; state quarterfinalist)
2016 - 7-3 (4-0, first place; state quarterfinalist)
2017 - 8-3 (3-1, second place; state semifinalist)
2018 - 9-2 (6-0, first place; state quarterfinalist)
2019 - 7-1 (6-0, first place; section semifinalist)
Spring 2021 - 5-1 (3-1, third place)
Fall 2021 - 10-2 (5-0, first place; state semifinalist)
2022 - 10-3 (4-0, first place; state finalist)
2023 - 8-2 (5-1, second place; section finalist)
2024 - 6-4 (4-2, first place)
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Bill Bianco reinstated as NFA football coach
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Bianco took swift action upon hearing about the October fight which resulted in injuries to a student, and suspended a number of players before a late-season game with Kingston. Nonetheless, school officials had Newburgh forfeit a non-league game to Our Lady of Lourdes and then forfeited a Nov. 8 playoff game with Middletown, thus ending the season.
Bianco and his staff were relieved of their coaching duties on February 26.
What followed was weeks of backlash from the community, against acting superintendent Dr. Lisa Buon - herself embroiled in a number of controversial matters before the district - and the Newburgh school board. Handfuls of concerned parents, supporters and athletes rallied behind the coaches during public discussion forums before the board.
Following weeks of backlash from the community, the school board of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District on Tuesday evening voted unanimously to reinstate Bianco and his assistant coaches.
"Thank you, school board,'' shouted one woman in the crowd. Many in attendance applauded the decision.
Outspoken supporter Matt Lawrence - the team's public address announcer for over 30 years - pointed out the failures of the district and board that led in part to the incident in what was supposed to be a locker room closed for lengthy renovations. He blasted the district and athletic director Christian Hodge for creating a situation where more than 100 athletes were left without a locker room in the midst of the season. He blamed the lack of school security for areas that were sure to have athletes during certain portions of the day.
"This district's corrective action plan now consists of blame the coaches for the lack of supervision, cancel this season and punish the players for the actions of a few,'' he told the board meeting. "Every single person standing or sitting in front of me has some responsibility for the failure in this incident. To lay blame solely on the football coaches is unjustified ... there is plenty of blame to go around.''
Lawrence cited the poor legal counsel at the school since the 2011 boys basketball scandal, where coaches and teachers were accused of signing off on no-show student-athletes, and took the district to task over a recent string of controversial issues that have roiled the district.
"Until this day, we were one (public relations) nightmare after another,'' Lawrence said.
"Make this a teachable moment and put back the coaches, who have also learned from this,'' Lawrence said before the vote. "We can all do better, but blaming the coaches for the district's lack of planning is not the answer.''
In November, a source said the incident started as a "rap battle,'' where participants insult one another through rapping. The act got out of hand, and several teammates stepped in to either help or break up the confrontation. "It literally wasn't more than one incident,'' the source said. At first only the players directly involved were suspended by the coaches but additional players - believed to be up to eight in all - were subsequently penalized by school officials for merely going into the locker room at that time, captured on video surveillance.
Bianco was asked for comment but did not reply.
Parent Jim Rafferty praised Bianco's character for fostering a youth football program that thrives to this day and feeds the NFA teams with athletes. He praised Bianco for instituting strict school attendance and performance policies and creating weight-training programs to foster growth.
"Over the years, this pattern would shape these young men into football players,'' Rafferty said.
Reading a letter from his son, Tyler, a senior football player at Army, the younger Rafferty said: "As a former player under the head coach, I can say unequivocally that he is the best thing to ever happen to Newburgh football. The head coach consistently goes above and beyond his duties as a coach, treating every player as if they were his own child. His dedication extends far beyond the football field.''
"I'm a witness to the small things that our staff does to make a difference in this community, building a genuine camaraderie among families and players,'' noted Justin Barnwell, parent of player Jaieson Barnwell, who was originally going to play at Iona Prep but chose NFA instead because of the coaches. "Coach B and staff has positively influenced many young players and coaches.''
"These coaches helped a lot ever since I was a little kid,'' said sophomore Nyer Johnson. "I just really hope ... we get these coaches back.''
Bianco took over for the retiring C.T. Chatham ahead of the 2009 season. In 2011, Newburgh won the Section 9-AA title and eventually lost to Orchard Park in the state final. In 2014, the Goldbacks lost to Jamestown in the state AA final. In 2022, Newburgh lost to Lewis Bennett in the state AA final. Newburgh won additional sectional titles in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
[email protected]
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
Newburgh under Bill Bianco
Year - Overall (league)
2009 - 7-2 (3-1, second place; section semifinalist)
2010 - 4-5 (2-2, third place)
2011 - 10-2 (3-1, T-first place; state finalist)
2012 - 6-3 (2-2, T-third place)
2013 - 8-2 (3-1, second place; section finalist)
2014 - 10-3 (3-1, second place; state finalist)
2015 - 8-3 (3-1, second place; state quarterfinalist)
2016 - 7-3 (4-0, first place; state quarterfinalist)
2017 - 8-3 (3-1, second place; state semifinalist)
2018 - 9-2 (6-0, first place; state quarterfinalist)
2019 - 7-1 (6-0, first place; section semifinalist)
Spring 2021 - 5-1 (3-1, third place)
Fall 2021 - 10-2 (5-0, first place; state semifinalist)
2022 - 10-3 (4-0, first place; state finalist)
2023 - 8-2 (5-1, second place; section finalist)
2024 - 6-4 (4-2, first place)
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Bill Bianco reinstated as NFA football coach
Continue reading...
