Nazareth’s investigation into a blowup between its athletic director and boys basketball coach ended with both parties keeping their jobs. Longtime boys head man Todd Jamison confirmed that he and Rochelle Murphy will both be back this year.
“We are good,” Jamison said. “[I] can’t say much else.”
The decision by principal Providence Quiles, who did not return phone messages, comes more than two weeks after it was reported that Murphy had fired the coach of 17 years following a physical altercation between the two at the Brooklyn Catholic school.
The incident on July 10 came after a reportedly heated discussion regarding Jamison’s knowledge of the whereabouts of Nigerian rising junior Akilo Samson Oluwole. Murphy, the AD since 2008, also did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Quiles said at the time that only she had the authority to fire Jamison, who has denied the allegations that he was the aggressor. Quiles launched an investigation into the incident and said she did not want anyone’s reputation tarnished without the school doing its due diligence.
“Everything needs to be discussed thoroughly,” Quiles said then.
Jamison is coming off his most successful season as coach. The Kingsmen went undefeated in the CHSAA Class B division, won the school’s first city title since 1989 and added a Catholic state crown as well.
Nazareth represented the league in the state Federation Class B tournament in Albany along with its nationally ranked girls basketball team. Jamison was also an integral part of the successful campaign to help Nazareth reach its financial needs to keep the school open after it was announced in February it was closing its doors.