14 weeklypress.com • ucreview.com • June 12, 2013


School District sends West football coach packing


By Napoleon F. Kingcade University City Review Sports Reporter


ust four days before his walking papers arrived at his home, West Philadelphia High Football coach Paul Noon wasted no time telling his players he would not be back next season to be the team’s head coach.


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Crazy as it seems, Coach Noon got a taste of DOOMSDAY when he received a letter inside his mailbox, last Saturday (on June 8,) which notified the two-year coach….he was among the 3,783 school employees who received layoff notices last week from the Philadelphia School District. The news came as a tragic shock to his football players. The news struck them very hard. Many broke down and cried in his arms. “Because of the budget crisis at the Philadelphia School District, I was laid off as a school counselor by the school district,” said Noon who became the Speedboys’ new head coach back in August 2011. “It was as simple as that. I saw the writing on the wall as early back in April. I knew I was going to be laid off, but I never told anybody about it. But I received my layoff notice in my mailbox last Saturday morning.” Since last April, the Philadelphia School District has been fighting to get a hold of $313 million to help wipe out a $304 million deficit and to keep 3,783 workers on its yearly payroll which includes assistant principals, administrative assistants, secretaries, guidance counselors, music teachers, librarians, athletic directors and noontime aides. But because the School District could never get the money from the city, state or its union, the district was forced to wash its hands of the situation which has left 3,783 people out of work and out of jobs. When the 2013 Public League Football season starts in September, defensive coach Frank Steed will become the new head coach of the West Philadelphia Speedboys. For the last two years at West Philadelphia High, Coach Noon served as the school’s head football coach and


worked full-time as a school counselor. Now that his job has been taken away from him because of the School Dis- trict’s budget cuts. Coach Noon was forced to take a head coaching job at Valley Forge Military Academy High School where he will coach a new team of high school football players.


“I had hoped and prayed for something to happen, up to the first week of June,” said Noon. “I was hoping the School District or someone would take out a loan and find a way to keep all the counselors working at all the schools. I cried a lot of long hours with my wife. I was so upset because I know these kids need me. But because of all the politics and greed from the higher-ups, they are stopping us from doing our job.”


Coach Noon told this reporter during a half-hour tele- phone interview he didn’t want to do it, but had no choice, but take the full-time football job at Valley Forge Military Academy so he could keep supporting himself and his wife, Mary.


“I didn’t have any choice in the matter,” said Coach Noon. “I got forced out of my job. I had to take the job in Valley Forge to support my family. I thought I would be at West Philadelphia High for the next 50 years. I thought the West Philadelphia Football Field would be named after me. I thought this would be my (football) family until the end. But because of poor money management handled by the School District all my hopes and dreams come to this tragic end.”


Coach Noon’s two-years of service ends with a perfect 11-0 season in 2011 and a regular season record of 5-6 in 2012. During his teams’ perfect 2011 regular season, the Speed- boys battled the Boys Latin Warriors in the Pubic League playoffs and got beat 30-0. However, in both of his seasons at West Philadelphia High, Coach Noon led the Speedboys to back-to-back Turkey Bowl victories. His team defeated Over-


Coach Paul Noon gets his walking papers & leaves West Philadelphia High football team


brook 26-0 in 2011 and 12-6 in 2012 . “With the whole community coming out and all the players sticking together through the whole year, the Turkey Bowl games are very memorable to me,” said Noon. “I really en- joyed kicking Overbrook’s butt in both years, especially last season when they had more talent than us. They had more talent, but we played with more heart.” Back in November of 2012, Coach Paul Noon enjoyed one of his happier moments when he invited this reporter to the team’s Pre-Thanksgiving Day dinner that was given by the West Philadelphia High Alumni Association of the Class of 1961 and 1962. A check for $1,200 was presented to Coach Noon and the football team for its great success in the school’s football program.


“I want the players to know I didn’t win football games, they won those football games,” said Coach Noon. “They don’t need me here anymore. They just need to keep on working hard and keep on winning. They all had the ability but they just didn’t know it. I made them notice their. Now, they can keep on working hard and keep on winning games with their ability.”


Coach Noon said if the Philadelphia School District im-


proves its yearly budget, there may be a good chance he could make a miraculous return to the West Philadelphia High Football program. He said if that happens, he would be more than happy to come back to his football home. “A lot of players look up to me as being a father-figure to them,” said Coach Noon. “It breaks my heart for me to tell them I won’t be around here anymore. It really hurts me even more to see them cry in my arms. I have a thousand years worth of memories inside of me and most of them I will never, ever forget. I want all of these kids to know they will always be my football players for life. That’s what I want them to know.”


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