A girls’ high school basketball coach in upstate New York has been fired after footage showed him angrily yanking a player’s hair after the team’s loss on March 21.

The incident took place at the 2025 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D Girls Basketball Tournament championship final at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.

A video shows a coach yank a teenage girl’s ponytail at the 2025 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D Girls Basketball Tournament. (Photo: X/@kirawontmiss)

Northville lost to La Fargeville 43-37, causing emotions to run hot after the game.

A recording of the altercation appeared on the National Federation of State High School Association’s livestream before going viral on social media. 

In the footage, longtime Northville coach Jim Zullo, 81, approached star player Hailey Monroe from behind as the team was lined up courtside for a postgame huddle.

Zullo abruptly pulled the girl’s ponytail, causing her head to whip back.

Caught off guard, Monroe appeared to be in tears as Zullo began yelling at her angrily, though it’s not clear what he said.

Monroe pulled away from Zullo but avoided facing off with Zullo as he started berating her. Another player, a Black girl with long braids, quickly stepped in, reprimanding Zullo for his actions. 

By this point, Zullo looked enraged as he circled to a position in front of the girls, shouting and pointing his finger angrily at Monroe and her teammate.

The intense moment led to a shouting match, with the Black girl pointing her finger back at Zullo while defending Monroe. The other teammates looked on with stunned concern. One girl nervously walked away to avoid getting caught up in the dispute.

The crowd was startled by the coach’s unexpected actions.

“My jaw was on the floor. They’re high school girls for crying out loud,” said Alyssa Leroux, who shared a video of the broadcast, according to the New York Post.

Monroe, a high school senior and the team’s all-time leading scorer, had fouled out of the game before the shocking incident, WRGB reported.

The Northville Central School District confirmed Zullo was immediately fired after the incident, adding that it was “deeply disturbed” by Zullo’s behavior.

“This behavior is completely unacceptable,” the district said in a letter shared Friday on Facebook.

“This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District. The district will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support and outline the actions we are taking in response to this incident.”

“We assure the public that this matter is being taken extremely seriously, and the District is actively addressing it. The District will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support and outline the actions we are taking in response to this incident,” the statement said.

Zullo told News10 ABC that Monroe cussed at him after he told her to shake hands with the other team following Northville’s loss, claiming the girl’s brattiness provoked his anger.

On Instagram, commenters applauded Monroe’s teammate for standing up for Monroe, with many noting that a Black girl was defending a white teammate despite the nation’s polarized political climate.

“We always there to defend others I love us so much just hate how it’s rarely reciprocated,” someone wrote.

“A sista gon’ always be ready to straighten somebody when they get outta line,” another person observed, expressing disbelief about Zullo’s actions. “… I love us.. cause baby who you think you disrespecting in front of me??? IKYL” — textspeak for “I Know You Lying.”

It’s not clear whether Zullo will face charges.

Zullo agreed to coach the Northville girls’ team at Sport Island Pub & Restaurant before their AAU season in spring 2023, the Leader-Herald reported.

‘Who You Think You Disrespecting In Front of Me?’: Girls High School Coach Fired After Grabbing Player’s Hair In Heated Postgame Outburst As Internet Praises Teammate Who Defends Her