SWR football coach ‘removed’ from position following incident at scrimmage
Shoreham-Wading River football coach Aden Smith has been “removed” from his position just as the Wildcats are set to kick off their 2019 season.
Superintendent Gerard Poole issued a brief statement Friday confirming an investigation.
“The district is currently investigating an incident involving the varsity football team’s head coach,” Poole said in an email. “The incident took place during a scrimmage against Islip on August 30, 2019. While this investigation is underway, the head coach has been removed and the current assistant coaches will be leading the team.”
The Shoreham-Wading River Board of Education held a special executive session meeting Thursday night.
The Aug. 30 scrimmage involved multiple teams at Islip High School, which is common as teams prepare for the season. Islip, Bayport-Blue Point, Connetquot, Sachem North and Sayville were all scheduled to participate in the scrimmage, according to the schedule on Section XI’s website.
The Wildcats are scheduled to open the season Friday night at 7 p.m. against Bayport-Blue Point at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field in Shoreham.
Smith, 38, is in his second year coaching the Wildcats. He led the Wildcats to a 10-2 record last season. The Wildcats are the favorites to repeat as county champions this year as the No. 1 seed in Division IV. He is a teacher at Longwood High School.
Smith got into a heated exchange with a Mount Sinai assistant coach at the end of last season’s county championship game at Stony Brook University. Smith and the Mount Sinai coach had to be restrained as the players shook hands at the end of the Wildcats’ win. The incident, partly caught on camera by the News-Review, did not escalate further into a physical confrontation. Some of the players on Shoreham could be seen trying to restrain him.
Smith was back coaching the next week in the Long Island Championship game and it’s unclear if there was any disciplinary action taken.
The next Board of Education meeting is Tuesday. Smith did not return messages seeking comment.
Photo caption: Aden Smith pictured at last November’s county championship game. (Credit: Daniel De Mato/file)
