Sycamore’s new coach says: ‘We are not a school’
Bishop Sycamore’s new coach is adding another layer of intrigue to the ongoing story of the embattled football program, which first made national news Aug. 29 after losing 58-0 on ESPN and prompted Gov. Mike Dewine to call for an investigation.
Tyren Jackson, who lists himself on Twitter as Bishop Sycamore’s head coach and defensive coordinator, told NBC4 that Bishop Sycamore is not a school, but a “post-grad football academy.”
“We do not offer curriculum,” Jackson said. “We are not a school. That’s not what Bishop Sycamore is, and I think that’s what the biggest misconception about us was, and that was our fault. Because that was a mistake on paperwork.”
This is contrary to what school organizers have said previously about the program.
Bishop Sycamore High School has previously been registered with the Ohio Department of Education as a non-chartered, non-tax supported school, though the school reported an enrollment of just three students in the 2020-21 school year.
Documents filed with the Ohio De
partment of Education listed a bell schedule for the school and said the school would provide 1,001 hours of instruction to the enrolled students.
Last year, Bishop Sycamore played Massillon and Lakewood St. Edward, and this season lost 38-0 to Akron Archbishop Hoban. It also had St. Edward on the schedule for later this year, though that game has since been canceled.
Though Bishop Sycamore no longer identifies as a school, the Ohio High School Athletic Association says its member schools are free to schedule Bishop Sycamore if they wanted.
“Just like when they were claiming to be (a school), our member schools are allowed to play whoever they want,” said Tim Stried, a spokesman for the OHSAA. “They would not get any computer points for playing them. It’s kind of like Reigning Sports Academy or the Columbus Crusaders. A lot of times, our schools will play them to get a game, even though they don’t get computer points.”
Amid questions about the academic legitimacy of the program, Dewine asked the Department of Education to launch an investigation into the academic side of Bishop Sycamore last week.
“Schools like Bishop Sycamore have an obligation under Ohio law to meet certain minimum standards,” Dewine said in a statement. “Whether Bishop
Sycamore meets these standards is not clear. I have asked the Ohio Department of Education to conduct an investigation into Bishop Sycamore to ensure compliance with Ohio law and to ensure the school is providing the educational opportunities Ohio students deserve.”
All of the games on Bishop Sycamore’s schedule were canceled over the past week as the saga gained national attention, though the team has solicited new opponents on Twitter.
It’s unlikely that a school in Ohio would add Bishop Sycamore to its schedule, given the attention that it would bring. But if a team wanted to, it could, and Jackson knows that if and when someone does schedule Bishop Sycamore, it will be a major story.
“Once the smoke clears, we’re national news,” Jackson said. “Whoever does schedule us next will be national news.”
Jackson replaced former coach Roy Johnson, who was fired by Bishop Sycamore athletic director Andre Peterson after the team lost 58-0 to IMG Academy on Aug. 29. Jackson said Bishop Sycamore is still practicing and hopes to play some games this season, despite the negative attention around the program.
“A lot of it, you can say, was self-inflicted, and I’m willing to say that,” Jackson said. “But at the same time, that’s probably from a head-down type of thing. Don’t attack these kids. Don’t take that part from them, now that they don’t have a season, possibly.” bjohnson@dispatch.com @baileyajohnson_