Russ Stoner’s time as York High head football coach appears to be ending

The coach has also sent many of his former players to play at the collegiate level. By his count, Stoner has sent 72 players to college, and 50 graduated. Three rising juniors and three rising seniors on the Bearcats’ current roster received college offers before his departure.

Stoner is also the head of Accountability For Life, a York-based nonprofit that mentors adolescents in academics, life skills and leadership among others, in a athletics-based environment.

His rehiring was also the subject of heated debate in 2020, when the York High school board voted 6-2 with one abstention in favor of his retention. During that meeting, multiple former York High players signed on to speak about the positive impact Stoner left on their lives, while school board members debated through a tense four-hour long meeting.

A change.org petition posted on June 16 asked that the York High community show support for Stoner and “encourage decision-makers to consider the full body of his work, the measurable success of the program, and the countless lives he has impacted throughout his years of service.” The petition, created by Stoner’s daughter Maddi, and has already garnered over 450 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

York High’s June 17 meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. inside the Central Admin Boardroom.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York City school board will not rehire Russ Stoner as football coach