 | | | Photo Ann Murphy | | | | | | One short week after making it to the semifinal CIF state football championship game, Jack Schram, after 18 years as a Miramonte football coach, the last 13 as the head coach, was informed on Dec. 8 that he would no longer be affiliated with the Miramonte football team.
In the press release put out by Miramonte, they "bid a fond farewell to Coach Jack Schram." Principal Ben Campopiano spoke of how Schram's "dedication and leadership have laid a strong foundation for the future of Miramonte football. Winning two NCS Championships and guiding the program so successfully for over a decade is truly a remarkable coaching achievement."
Schram was not given any specific explanation as to why he was losing his job. "There was no reasoning and they just said that they wanted to go into a different direction with new leadership and that's all they told me," Schram said. "I really wanted to keep coaching at Miramonte. I've already had some offers and I'm still coaching at Miramonte as the school's golf coach. At this point, I don't know what the future holds."
Athletic Director Sean Hennessey could not give any specifics as to what went into the school's decision. "There was no one thing at all or anything that I could point to," Hennessey said. "It was just that we felt it was time for a change in leadership. We are always getting feedback from the parents and players for all our programs, not just football, and like I said, it was just one of those things where we felt it was it was time for a new direction within the program."
According to Hennessey it was a decision reached by the whole administrative staff, Campopiano, himself and both associate principals.
Hennessey also acknowledged the success of the team this season: "This doesn't take anything away from what Jack accomplished and the NCS Division 5 championship is important. The players did well, and we don't want to stop any of the team's momentum moving forward."
At this point, there is no one under consideration to fill the head coaching position. "We are looking for someone that has a detailed plan and approach to running a program from top to bottom," Hennessey said. "Someone who has a 12-month plan moving forward that includes the weight room and a whole bunch of different things. We have no predetermined thought on whether we will go with an offensive or a defensive coach. We just want the best possible coach to lead Miramonte High School to the next step."
Senior Nick Blair said that the players were informed the same day as Schram about the change. "We were a little surprised as a team, but they made it clear that they had been looking into it for a while," Blair said. "We love all of our coaches and they have been great for us but still we're looking forward to see what a new coach will bring."
Blair spoke highly of his relationship and respect for Schram's coaching acumen: "We always got along. He's a great coach and he always knew what he was talking about. His football knowledge is great and I'm going to miss his game plans and installations. He always came up with fun new plays for us. No one was happy that he's not going to be here, but a new coach will bring a new perspective and we hope that whoever it is will keep the progress that we made this season." |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA