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High school football coach quits at halftime.
Connecticut high school football coach Donny Panapada quit at halftime of his team’s most recent contest. He then had second thoughts.
Panapada reportedly tried to return as coach the next day. He was denied the opportunity by administration.
The school principal sent an email to parents, which cited “exchanges with student athletes” and “poor judgement” on Panapada’s behalf as reasoning for a refusal of reinstatement.
After meeting with the coach the following morning, the principal decided there was no “viable path forward for coach Panapada to rescind his resignation.”
Donny Panapada is no longer the football coach at Stamford High School.
The coach was hired in 2022 and led the program for five seasons. He posted a 16-31 overall record with the Black Knights.
Stamford plays in Connecticut’s Fairfield County League at the Class 2L level. The team is 3-3 this year with a 1-2 mark in league play.
The high school is located about 35 miles outside of New York City and serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 2,100 students. It opened its doors all the way back in 1874.
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A view of Stamford High School on a map.
Panapada led the team to a 3-1 start in the 2026 season but has watched the Black Knights suffer blowout losses in each of their last two contests. Frustrations got the best of him last Friday.
Stamford took on Warde fresh off a 28-7 loss. The game was not competitive.
Warde won 42-14. Panapada got upset at halftime. He did not return to the sidelines in the second half. According to Greenwich Time, the head coach resigned midgame.
According to Forker’s email, which was obtained by CT Insider, Panapada “engaged in exchanges with our student athletes and demonstrated poor judgement while coaching the first half of the game against Warde.”
Panapada then announced his resignation to players and athletic director Chris Passamano. He remained on site at Warde High School, but did not coach during the second half, according to the email.
Panapada later met with administration and expressed regret for his actions. He pleaded to return to the sidelines and finish out the season. That request was rejected.
Stamford’s principal released a statement.
“(Panapada’s) actions fell short of the standards and expectations we have for the head coach of the Stamford High School football program,” Matthew Forker wrote in an email.
“A head coach has a responsibility to lead by example and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the student athletes, coaching staff, and the entire school community, no matter the circumstances…
“Confrontational exchanges with student athletes during a game, in front of a large crowd of families from both schools, followed by an in-game announcement of his resignation and a decision not to resume coaching responsibilities, are inconsistent with the standards we expect from those entrusted to lead our student athletes.”
The school did not name an interim head coaching replacement. The current staff will continue to lead the team moving forward.
Stamford will play undefeated St. Joseph this weekend. There are still four games remaining on the schedule.