Truman coach LaPalombara steps down
Coming off by far the greatest season in school history, the Truman High football team will now have to proceed without the coaching staff that engineered the remarkable turnaround.
On Friday afternoon head coach Mike LaPalombara announced he will not be returning next year after two seasons as the Tiger helm.
This came on the heels of ace assistant and defensive/ offensive coordinator Galen Snyder deciding he will also not return next season in order to watch his son Luke play in his final year of college football.
“I agonized over this for three weeks, but I just felt it was a good time for the school to bring in someone who could make a five year or more commitment to the program,” said LaPalombara. “It would also have been tough to retool the staff with coaches who aren’t familiar with the offensive system (Wing-T) we’ve been using.”
LaPalombara and many of his assistants, of course, were part of the ultra-successful Pennsbury program for years. What they were able to accomplish in two years at Truman was truly amazing.
Taking over a long-dormant program, in the first year Truman set a school record for wins in a season with seven. This past year the team went 10-2, won its first league title and ended losing streaks against Neshaminy and Pennsbury that dated back for decades. Truman also made the districts for the first two times and this year posted its first playoff victory.
“The excitement and enthusiasm in the school was thrilling to see,” said LaPalombara of the past season in which the Tigers drew by far the biggest crowds they have ever had. “The players were really disappointed when I told them I wasn’t coming back, but the good thing is the new coaches will have a lot to work with in.”