Coach put on leave from teaching job

MADISON — Three days after being asked to resign his position as football coach at Daniel Hand High School, Dave Mastroianni, also a social studies teacher at the school, has been placed on administrative leave, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said.

The move follows a series of meetings meant to assess whether a personal issue that came to the district’s attention affected Mastroianni’s ability to teach, according to Scarice, who declined to comment further on the nature of the personal issue, referring to it as “a family matter.”

“There is no comment. This is all personal,” Mastroianni said Friday. “This is between me and my wife.”

“At no point have we received allegations, or determined any improper conduct with students,” Scarice said in a statement released to the New Haven Register. “We have been reviewing this matter as we receive information, and additional information was brought to our attention during the ongoing review of this situation. As a result, it was decided to place Mr. Mastroianni on administrative leave, with pay, and without prejudice, while we continue to conduct our review. Given that this is a personnel matter, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”

Information alerting the district to the personal issue came from a source other than Mastroianni, Scarice said.

It also came shortly after a discussion Mastroianni

had with Daniel Hand Principal Anthony Salutari, in which he told Salutari he was worried about continuing to coach given ongoing health issues, Scarice said.

Scarice believed the discussion about Mastroianni’s health took place in December, he said.

The district found out about Mastroianni’s personal issues some time in January, according to other sources.

Ultimately, the personal issues “were of the magnitude that we felt that it was in the best interest to step down (from his coaching duties) in combination with his health reasons,” Scarice said.

Mastroianni agreed his resignation was in the best interest of the football program, according to Scarice.

“I think for everyone involved in the situation,” Scarice said. “... It is very disappointing and very unfortunate and sad.”

When it comes to taking action on a teacher’s employment, there is a clear process and strict regulations school districts must adhere to, Scarice said.

Since coaching positions are annual appointments, decisions may be made more quickly, according to the superintendent.

Speaking generally of investigations involving personnel, Scarice said, “When we ... have information that we believe rises to a level that it would be in the best interest of the school for that individual not to be on campus during the investigation, then we do that.”

Steve Filippone, a seven-time state championship coach who guided Hand’s football program for 27 years, was reappointed to lead the school’s football program, school officials announced during a meeting with players and team parents at the school Thursday evening.

Filippone, 63, originally coached the team from 19892016. Under his guidance, Hand amassed a 223-82-5 record and won seven state championships before he stepped down. His

223 wins makes him the 11th winningest high school football coach in Connecticut history.

Mastroianni, Filippone’s defensive coordinator since 2009, was named the third football coach in team history in January 2017.

Mastroianni, a Milford native who played at Foran, served as an assistant coach for Filippone from 2007-16. He was named the program’s third head coach in January 2017.

Mastroianni immediately set Hand back on a championship course. He lost his second game as head coach, 21-19 to Shelton, but then Hand embarked on a 36-game win streak spanning three seasons, including backto-back Class L championships in 2017 and 2018.

Hand reached a third-consecutive Class L final last season, but lost to St. Joseph 17-13.

It was during the 2019 season that Mastroianni revealed he’d been diagnosed with cancer for a second time, which caused him to miss consecutive games as he received treatment. He coached several games from the press box, but ultimately returned to the sidelines and coached the team from the field during the Class L final.

Mastroianni