WATCH: Former Manatee Football Coach Joe Kinnan Has His Say

Former Manatee High School football coach Joe Kinnan won almost 300 games, picked up five state titles and served almost 30 years before his career came to a halt recently.

Kinnan was out on medical leave when he was told his contract with the district would not be renewed.

The district “forced me to give up my life’s passion,” Kinnan said during a Wednesday press conference outside Bradenton City Hall.

News of Kinnan’s non-renewal comes on the heels of several scandals at Manatee High, including a sexual assault allegation against a former assistant football coach and charges of financial misconduct related to the baseball team, Bay News 9 reported. In addition to serving as the head coach for the Hurricanes, Kinnan was also the high school’s athletic director.

Kinnan told reporters gathered outside City Hall he felt like he was a target for those jealous of the success of Manatee High’s athletic programs.

“The underhanded manner and deliberate timing of the district’s delivery of the administrative complaint in an effort to deceive the community and smear me showed the type of leadership we have in the district today,” Kinnan said during the conference. “In essence, my medical conditions and the treatment of those conditions, brought on by the unscrupulous actions of the district leadership have forced me to give up my life’s passion of being the head football coach at MHS.”

Superintendent Rick Mills was the focus of much of Kinnan’s address. He, Kinnan said, turned on him for questioning a recent decision to cut the Manatee High sports budget by $250,000.

Mills issued a statement regarding Kinnan’s departure from the district, Bay News 9 reported.

“His coaching record of 290 victories, 27 district titles and five state championships over the course of nearly three decades is an example of sustained excellence on the football field. However, we cannot comment on any pending administrative complaints,” Mills was quoted as saying.

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