Sports
Peabody High School Fires Longtime Hockey Coach
Mark Leonard, the school's hockey coach for the past 24 years, is the third coach to leave the Peabody athletic department in the past year.
PEABODY, MA -- Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Athletic Director Bob Bua told the Salem News he did not take the decisionto let hockey coach Mark Leonard "lightly" but therwise declined comment because it was a personnel issue. Leonard had coached the team for the past 24 years. Last spring, softball coach Butch Melanaphy did not have his contract renewed, and long-time lacrosse coach Anthony O’Donnell resigned before the start of last season.
"I put a lot of time and effort in. I just turned 53 years and have been involved with the program for nearly half of my life," Leonard told the newspaper, which first reported this story.
For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Peabody Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.
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