Falls player, will take over as coach after 11 years assisting Heinzelman, a Brent Steuerwald (Shenendehowa) disciple.
"Brent is my mentor, he's the brightest guy I ever met," Heinzelman said. "He's in coaching for all the right reasons. He's a perfect role model. When I was at Shen, I followed him around like a puppy. Most of my philosophy of coaching I developed from what I learned from Brent and my college coach, Jim Butterfield."
Heinzelman, president of the New York State High School Football Coaches Association, did not rule out a return to coaching down the road.
More changes: Binghamton Seton Catholic has named 1969 alum Jim Clarke to succeed Ryan McManus as football coach following a winless season. Clarke served as an assistant under four different football coaches from 1981 to 2001. He is also the JV baseball coach.
The Saints have gone 13-40 since posting a 6-3 mark in 2001.
David Kendall, formerly an assistant girls coach at Union-Endicott, will coach boys soccer at Seton. He replaces Joe Fritsch, who'll take over the girls team.
Ed Dopp, a phys ed teacher for 25 years and the NYSPHSAA state baseball chairman, is the new athletic director at Shaker effective next week. Dopp was the varsity baseball coach for 19 years, picking up 226 victories and a Section 2 championship.
Dopp replaces David Herman, who is retiring after 19 years on the job.
Ithaca has hired Lansing AD Ed Redmond to serve as the high school's associate principal, all but clearing the way for him to also be named as football coach at his alma mater.
Karen Lopez, who was president of the NYSPHSAA from 1992 to 1994, is the new executive director in Section 7. She replaces the retiring John Gallagher.
Buffalo controversy update: Buffalo McKinley Principal Crystal Barton will not be disciplined under state education law for her involvement in the suspension of Jayvonna Kincannon, and neither will any other Buffalo school officials, The Buffalo News reported.
However, an attorney working for the Board of Education said "internal actions" have been taken to address "violations of proper procedures." Karl W. Kristoff, the attorney, released a statement saying there were "significant issues" regarding district procedures and “the job performance of nearly everyone involved” in Jayvonna’s suspension.
Kristoff told the paper a review of the case “has caused us to conclude that none of the school personnel involved acted with any sort of malicious intent. Rather, what we found were unacceptable lapses of judgment in the implementation of our student discipline policies."
Kincannon was suspended for seven weeks (later reduced to five) for using a cell phone in school, and for leaving school without permission. She was trying to arrange to speak at a school board meeting in support of Michelle Stiles, a volunteer assistant girls basketball coach who had been dismissed.
