Longtime Canarsie football coach Mike Camardese was given an unsatisfactory rating by school administrators on Monday and is being forced out of his post, he told The Post Wednesday night.
Camardese, the face of Canarsie football for nearly three decades, is appealing the ‘U’ rating through the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). He declined to elaborate for fear it could hurt his chances of retaining his position. When a coach is given a ‘U’ rating, it gives the school grounds to dismiss the coach.
“I’ve worked for seven principals and I never got a ‘U’ rating in my life,” he said. “I can’t go into detail right now.”
Since Canarsie was closed out a few years ago and turned into Canrarsie Educational Campus, a series of smaller schools, Camardese said the school has changed. A group of new principals for each school was brought in. He had practice time cut by an hour last fall and has battled with school administrators on a variety of issues.
“I was the last vestige at Canarsie and they wanted me out,” he said.
The fiery coach, who wrapped up his 28th season on the sidelines in the winter, has compiled a 194-100 record and led the Chiefs to four city championship games, the last one in 2007.
He guided Canarsie to the PSAL Championship division playoffs with a 7-2 record this past year, has sent countless players to the Division I level and has coached NFL players Lance Schulters and Leon Williams.