A high school football coach in Maryland has been suspended for the entire 2019 season in connection with a pair of practices held outside the recognized season.
As reported by the Baltimore Sun, Bel Air (Md.) High School head football coach David Huryk has been suspended for the entire 2019 football season in connection with violations of two bylaws: holding an out of season practice and holding a practice outside the allowable scope of a summer camp.
The ruling was handed down by the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association, and in addition to Huryk’s personal ban, the Bel Air team will be forced to forfeit its season opener, scheduled for September 6.
In Huryk’s stead, the football program will be run by longtime Bel Air assistant coach Eric Siegel. As outlined by the Sun, Siegel has served as a junior varsity assistant and head coach, as well as a varsity defensive coordinator, at all Bel Air. He is also a teacher at the Baltimore school.
Now, Siegel will finally serve as varsity head coach, for at least a year. It remains unknown whether Huryk will be allowed to resume as head coach after the suspension concludes. With those decisions unlikely to be finalized until after the season, Siegel finds himself in the remarkable position of learning to be a varsity head coach while also potentially auditioning for the job on a long-term basis.
To this point Huryk’s nine teams — he took over the program in 2010 — have a 58-34 record. As noted by the Sun, Bel Air reached the state playoffs for three straight seasons from 2014-2016 at the height of Huryk’s reign, finishing 10-2, 9-2 and 8-3, respectively.
