By Kyle LoJacono
Mark Kantor’s term as the Gaither High football coach came to an end Dec. 2 after a meeting with administrators. He will remain at the school as a social studies teacher.
“Administration wants to go in another direction with the football program,” Kantor said. “I was a little surprised that they felt that way, so I’m stepping down.”
Kantor, who came to the program in 2002 from Hudson High, is not only the longest tenured football coach in Cowboys history, but also has the most wins for the program with a record of 42-55. He guided Gaither to three straight playoff appearances from 2006-08 including a district championship in 2007, but went a combined 4-16 the last two seasons.
Second-year Gaither principal Marie Whelan said the football position will be advertised with Hillsborough County soon and no timetable for getting another coach has been set.
“We appreciate what (Kantor) has done here at Gaither the last nine seasons,” Whelan said.
The football team started its offseason workouts on Nov. 29. Kantor said he broke the news to the squad after school Dec. 2.
“They were sad,” Kantor said. He then added. “I’ll still be working to get the seniors signed with colleges because they deserve it. Those are the kids who’ve put in the work for years and I’ll do whatever I can to help them play on the next level. This won’t change that.”
Kantor’s coaching has helped 68 Gaither players reach the college level. This season, senior defensive lineman Chadd Hannah seems the most likely to receive a scholarship. He already has offers from the University of Cincinnati, Rutgers, the University of Illinois and Western Michigan University and has received interest from the University of South Florida and North Carolina State University.
The Cowboys did not end the season on a high note. They were defeated 33-7 by district rival Alonso High, a game which included a bench-clearing scuffle in the final minutes. The incident led to 19 Gaither players receiving one-game suspensions for next season, the school being fined $3,200 and the program being placed on probation for one year.
“I don’t know if that had anything to do with this,” Kantor said. “They told me it didn’t and I really can’t say if it did or didn’t.”
Kantor said he is unsure if he wants to coach in the future, but said he still loves football.
“I’ll get to spend more time with my family right now while I think about if I want to coach again,” Kantor said. “It’s still kind of a shock, so I’m not sure what I want do from here on out. Football has always been a passion of mine and we’ll see if that stays the same, but I think it will.”
