By Matt Williams
Mere months after the school's first winning football season in 15 years, Marblehead High will open its head coaching position.
Doug Chernovetz, the Magicians' head coach the last four seasons, confirmed last night that principal John Ziergiebel has decided to open the gridiron coaching job to new applicants.
"I can't say it's a shock, because nothing is a shock anymore, but it is certainly disappointing and befuddling," Chernovetz, who has gone 16-33 in four seasons, said. "I was told that there are concerns about my intensity and trying to moderate my enthusiasm."
Marblehead High athletic director Michael Plansky said he couldn't recall another job being opened in his time at Marblehead and referred questions to Ziergiebel, who didn't return a phone call from The Salem News last night.
"There'd been rumors going around school, but we didn't really hear anything concrete until (Monday). I'm pretty surprised after all the success we had last season," said Sam Perlow, an MHS football captain last season who will play for Amherst College in the fall.
In 2008, the Magicians finished 6-5 — their first wining season since 1992. Marblehead had a shot at the Northeastern Conference Small title in its 100th Thanksgiving Day meeting with rival Swampscott, but fell 21-13.
Chernovetz was most disappointed that he could lose his job after a season in which he felt the program had turned a corner.
"To set the table and possibly have someone else come in and eat my meal — that's not something that sits well with me," he said.
The Magicians' football program has had its share of controversy recently. Two starters were suspended for the final two games of 2008 for violating school rules, and Chernovetz himself was suspended for the first two games of last season for chewing tobacco around the team.
There's also a pending lawsuit against Chernovetz brought by the parents of a former varsity player that alleges the coach threatened the boy to the extent that he didn't feel comfortable attending school.
"I was told that this is not a question of my integrity, which I truly appreciate," Chernovetz said of his job being opened up. "The reason I was given was my intensity.
"I can't apologize for being intense and getting kids to play tough. The alternative is you continue to lose football games, and 15 years becomes even longer."
Chernovetz earned NEC South Coach of the Year honors last season as well as a High School Coach of the Week honor from the New England Patriots.
He says he'd like to continue coaching at Marblehead for the foreseeable future.
"I'm waiting for the process to start," Chernovetz said. "I want to coach these kids. They're fantastic young men who have stood by me. They're the reason I want to go back. We started something — and we want to finish it."
Chernovetz wasn't the only MHS coach embroiled in controversy last fall, as boys soccer coach Steve Ingemi and the town were sued by a former player alleging he was abused in a hazing ritual.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's official coaching vacancies list doesn't include Marblehead yet. According to Plansky, the final say on all coaching hires lies with Ziergiebel.
"If it was up to me, or up to any of the guys I've talked to, coach Chern will be back. We definitely turned a corner last year, and my experience has been the kids love playing for him," said Perlow.
