Mike Palos out as Bethlehem Catholic football coach

FROM THE MORNING CALL

Mike Palos went to his end-of-the-season meeting with Bethlehem Catholic administrators

Tuesday planning to discuss ways to improve the football program.

He was shocked to learn the school wanted him to resign as football coach after just two seasons.

Palos told school officials he didn't want to resign but would sleep on it. When he came to school Wednesday, he told them again he wouldn't resign.

Palos, 33, was let go anyway, a move made official in a press release from the school Wednesday morning. He went 9-13 in two seasons at his alma mater, including a 2-8 mark this season.

"I have no reason to resign," Palos said when reached by phone Wednesday morning. "It's what I loved. It's what I wanted to do.

"You can look at it in a lot of ways," he added. "I don't think two years is enough time. If they have a different agenda and want the program to go in a different direction, I have to respect that. This year we started with 57 kids and ended up with 33 due to injury. It was just a difficult season. Two years, in my opinion, is not enough time, but I have to move on. The sun will come up tomorrow."

Palos did not want to discuss the specifics of why he was asked to resign, nor did Bethlehem Catholic dean of student life Mike Grasso. Grasso said Wednesday afternoon that the e-mail released by the school summed up the reasons for the move.

"Bethlehem Catholic has decided to open the position of head football coach to new applicants," the e-mail stated. "We thank Coach Palos for his service to the school and its student athletes and we wish him well in his future coaching endeavors.

"We are looking for someone who will take our football program to the next level."

Grasso said that Bethlehem Catholic's new principal, John Petruzzelli, had started an evaluation process to look at every part of the school, from athletics to academics to activities. The committee responsible for evaluating the football program, which included Grasso and Petruzzelli, decided to part ways with Palos.

"It was no specific thing," Grasso said. "We're looking out for the best interests of our student athletes here at Bethlehem Catholic."

Palos started his tenure at Bethlehem Catholic two years ago by saying he had landed a dream job. The Golden Hawks proceeded to go 7-5 in 2009, his first season, and won the Eastern Conference Class 3A championship.

This season the Golden Hawks struggled to compete in the Lehigh Valley Conference. They lost their final six games, and their only two wins came over Allen and Dieruff.

Grasso said the school would start accepting applications for the football job immediately. A search committee will then be put together to evaluate the candidates.

Palos isn't sure what his next coaching move will be.

"If there's an opportunity there, I'll definitely look into it," he said. "I've coached baseball in the past too. That's something I have a passion for too.

"I'll have options. I had my heart set on being at Beca for a while, and unfortunately it didn't happen."

http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-football-palos-out-1201-20101201,0,5510709.story