High school football coach says parents’ taunts, verbal abuse forced him to quit

BROCKTON, Mass. — When the Cardinal Spellman Cardinals take the field next Saturday against Bishop Feehan, Head Coach Kahn Chace won’t be on the sidelines.

Chace quit the program Thursday following a 34-3 loss at Bishop Fenwick. He said his decision had nothing to do with what happened on the field.

“The breaking point was a public display of disrespect in front of the entire team, the families, and the other team. It just happened all at once,” Chace said.

Chace said the parents of his players cursed him, called him names and harassed him to the point where his own family didn’t feel comfortable going to games. After almost two seasons at Cardinal Spellman, Chace threw in the towel.

“The administration has actually brought in a parent or two. They have police that stand next to them during the games. They’ve arranged to escort me out [after games],” Chace said. “They know it’s a problem. They absolutely know it’s a problem. I don’t know if they know how to solve it.”

In a statement to Boston 25, Cardinal Spellman’s president didn’t address Chace’s complaints.

“We accepted the resignation of Head Football Coach Kahn Chace for personal reasons. We appreciate Coach Chace’s service to the Spellman Athletic Department, and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” Cardinal Spellman President and Head of School Daniel Hodes said in an email to Boston 25.

Chace said he’s coached football for 19 seasons. Cardinal Spellman paid him $9,000 a year to head the team..

“I’m not Bill Belichick. I’m not the Patriots. I don’t get paid millions of dollars. I get a little bit of a stipend and I do it because I like the kids,” he said.

“There are some parents who just go way overboard,” said Audra Blasberg, mother of a junior at Cardinal Spellman. “There’s absolutely no excuse. This is just a game. You know and we’re supposed to be teaching out kids good sportsmanship.”

Chace said he hopes to land another coaching gig next season. Until then, he’s going to spend more time with his children.

“You always try to take the high road when someone is attacking you. I didn’t want anything bad to happen and jeopardize my family. It’s just better this way. I woke up this morning happier,” Chace said.

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