Palisades (NC) opened its season on August 21st but did so without its head coach on the sideline.
Jonathan Simmons had been the head coach of the Pumas since 2022 but hours before the 2026 kicked off, he was suspended for undisclosed reasons. Now five games into the season, the Charlotte Observer reported that Simmons told them in a text had officially resigned from his position.
The Observer noted that Simmons had not disclosed if he would be leaving his teaching job at the school.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Simmons told the Observer. “Coaching at Palisades has meant far more to me than simply being on the sidelines on Friday nights. It has been a tremendous honor to build relationships, mentor young people, navigate adversity, and
be a part of a community that cares deeply about the village. Building the program from day 1 has been quite the journey that I will never forget.”
At the time of his suspension, no information had been provided by the school or Simmons on what led to the suspension. However, the Observer noted that he had been suspended with pay.
A letter sent to parents of football players by Principal Erik Olejarczyk notified them that Defensive Coordinator Darrel Wilson would be the program's interim head coach in the meantime.
In his four seasons, Simmons had a record of 21-24 with the Pumas. After losing seasons in 2022 and 2023, Palisades posted back-to-back 8-4 seasons.
This season, the Panthers are 4-1 and have outscored their opponents 153-74. They suffered their first loss of the season on September 10, losing to Chambers (NC) 24-20 but bounced back last week with a 41-12 win over Independence (NC).
They're off this week and will return to the field at home on October 2 as they host Ardrey Kell (NC).
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Carolina football coach resigns while serving suspension
