STRONGSVILLE — An Ohio high school football coach will not be returning, the district announced just over a month after his players stole merchandise from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Strongsville High School will be going in a “different direction” next year and will move on from head coach Lou Cirino, WOIO in Cleveland reported.
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This came just over a month after players from his team were caught with over $1,000 in stolen merchandise from the Hall of Fame.
Players stole the items while they were in Canton for a game in late October. The merchandise was later returned and students were disciplined, according to WEWS in Cleveland.
While the district did not give a reason for letting Cirino go, they did thank him for his commitment to the football program.
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“He was instrumental in building a strong connection between the school-age and youth programs, as well as developing meaningful relationships with the football parents and student-athletes,” the district said.
After the announcement, concerned parents started a petition to reinstate Cirino.