Harding coach Jack Cochran
Harding football coach Jack Cochran denied a report that he had resigned as the Presidents’ football coach, according to Dave Ruden of ‘The Ruden Report.’
A ‘very reliable’ source told Ruden that the coach, who has missed practice and the team’s 35-21 loss to Ludlowe on Saturday, had either resigned or would resign after just four games. Harding is 2-2.
Later, Cochran told Ruden “There is no story.”
Bridgeport Citywide Athletic Director Neil Kavey had ‘no comment’ to multiple questions from New Haven Register when reached Wednesday morning. Cochran did also not return a call seeking comment Wednesday morning.
Kavey eventually denied Cochran had resigned, telling Connecticut Post’s Doug Bonjour, “There is no resignation,” and said reports are false. He did not give the Connecticut Post an estimate on Cochran’s return. “Hopefully sooner rather than later,” Kavey told the Post.
Previously, Kavey and Harding athletic director Chris Johnson had told Connecticut Post that Cochran missed the game for “personal health issues,” a stance that was reiterated by Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools Paul Vallas, who told Connecticut Post it was heart-related.
Cochran also told New Haven Register and GameTimeCT on Saturday that health was the reason for his absence. “It’s just something I’d been putting off and had to take care of,” he said.
Harding’s football program did skip a junior varsity scrimmage vs. Norwalk on Sept. 30, two days before Cochran missed the first of two team practices leading up to the Ludlowe game. According to Norwalk coach Sean Ireland, Harding didn’t inform his school until 3:30 p.m., a half-hour before the JV game was supposed to begin.
A source said that Bridgeport’s administration was upset that Cochran canceled the junior varsity game without notifying Norwalk. When they requested a meeting, the source said, Cochran said was having medical issues and wouldn’t be available.
Kavey also gave ‘no comment’ when asked if the Norwalk incident had anything to do with Cochran’s absence.
Further Reading
- Week 5 schedule/results
- GameTimeCT / Register Top 10 poll for Week 5
- Day of New London Top 10 coaches poll for Week 5
- Unbeaten Derby faces major test vs. unbeaten Ansonia
- Games to Watch: Shelton vs. Prep highlight Week 5
- Sean Patrick Bowley’s Audibles for Week 5
- Pooch’s greater New Haven picks for Week 5
- Seymour rides Salemme to rout of Sacred Heart
- Cooper, Hillhouse roll Lyman Hall
- Ray Curren’s Inside the SCC: History repeats itself in Hand’s ‘upset’
- NVL Football beat: Salemme spurs Seymour’s run game
- SWC Football beat: Murphy, New Milford adjust
- FCIAC Football beat: Seniors holding Wilton together
- Harding’s Cochran still out, says ‘no story’ on report he’ll resign
- ‘The Show’ Week 4-5: Ansonia’s Tom Brockett
- Notre Dame vs. West Haven; East Haven vs. Law more than games
- Branford raising money for Matthew Jacques mission
- PLAYS OF THE WEEK: WEEK 4
