2 Wayne-Area Football Coaches Suspended For Altercation

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne Hills head football coach Wayne Demikoff and a Wayne Valley coach are suspended from practice and their teams' games this week following an on-the-field altercation after the teams' annual rivalry game Sept. 7.

Superintendent Mark Toback, who was at the game, would not go into details regarding exactly what happened, but said in a statement there was "no dispute regarding the facts surrounding the incident."

Toback stated that, "personal issues among coaches were played out in front of football players and cheerleaders." Hills beat Valley 14-9.

One of the coaches reported the incident to Toback. The superintendent then directed administrators at each high school to conduct an investigation into what happened. The suspensions were handed down by Wayne officials and not the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

"All coaches are held to professional standards as well as standards of sportsmanship, and that includes the need to resolve disputes in an appropriate manner," Toback said, noting that the the district took "corrective action" in the matter.

Toback did not elaborate on the details of the actions taken by the district, but NJ.com reported, citing parents of players, that Demikoff and an assistant coach from Valley were each suspended for one week.

"Like every school district, the Wayne Township Public Schools must maintain confidentiality and may not share specific information about employees or employment actions," Toback said.

Demikoff did not respond to a request for comment. He became head coach of the storied Wayne Hills program in 2013 after spending 14 seasons under legendary head coach Chris Olsen and helped the Patriots win eight state group championships between 2002 and 2011. He lead Hills to the team's first championship with him as head coach in 2016. Hills beat Valley that year in overtime.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Wayne Hills head football coach Wayne Demikoff