Chattin out as John I. Leonard coach

After three seasons as the football coach at John I. Leonard, Keith Chattin is out at the Greenacres school, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday.

“Coach Chattin is no longer leading our football team,” John I. Leonard principal Melissa Patterson said in a statement. “We appreciate his commitment to the Lancer athletic program. We wish Coach Chattin the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Chattin did not offer any further comment Tuesday. Neither Chattin nor school officials specified whether he stepped down or was fired.

Chattin took over the Lancers program after five years at Tampa Lennard High. John I. Leonard had struggled to compete with other programs in Palm Beach County, going 1-9 in 2017.

The Lancers showed some improvement under Chattin, but still could not crack .500. He finished his tenure at John I. Leonard with a 5-19 record.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent nationwide protests, Chattin started Coaches for Change. It started with a Zoom call with more than 100 coaches and has led to thousands of dollars donated to the Equal Justice Initiative, according to FootballScoop.com.

“I’m going to open up the discussion about social justice, equality, inequality, race reform, police reform, government, stuff like that,” Chattin said in June. “I want to see how they’re approaching their kids and their programs, and I’m going to tell them how we approach ours.”

John I. Leonard is the second publicized Palm Beach County football coach opening, following Brian Coe’s departure from Santaluces.

Current and former Leonard players reacted strongly to the news of Chattin’s ouster after ESPN West Palm first reported it.

“Firing [Chattin] was the dumbest thing this school could’ve done,” former Lancers quarterback Jadiel Cruz wrote on Twitter. “He physically, mentally, literally changed the culture and mentality for a bunch of young men including myself. Someone is about to get a STEAL.”