WESTON, Fla. — The coach of a prominent South Florida high school football team has been suspended from athletic events for two weeks after slapping one of his players in the side of the helmet in a nationally televised game.
Broward County school officials say Mark Guandolo of Cypress Bay High will also serve a three-day suspension from his job.
"It’s disappointing and it’s not something I’m proud of," Guandolo told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I have great respect for the kid."
Guandolo struck quarterback Lucas Tellefsen in the left side of the helmet after an incompletion during Cypress Bay's loss to American Heritage on Sunday. The game was shown on ESPN.
Eric Tellefsen, Lucas' father, told the Sun-Sentinel he and his family have spoken with Guandolo and that they stand behind the coach "110 percent."
Guandolo has 240 victories and two state championships in a quarter-century of coaching in South Florida. His team lost in the Florida Class 8A title game last season.
