Disappointing news out of Peabody High School - Boys Varsity Hockey Coach Mark Leonard who served as head coach for 24 years was fired. Mark is a class act both on and off the ice whose Tanner teams played the game right way and represented Peabody High School the right way
Disappointing news out of Peabody High School - Boys Varsity Hockey Coach Mark Leonard who served as head coach for 24 years was fired. Mark is a class act both on and off the ice whose Tanner teams played the game right way and represented Peabody High School the right way
It was time for a change.
Some would argue (and have on Facebook) that he should have been gone 5 years ago. Mark has a very polarizing personality. You either love him or you don't.
I would guess that the parents at PYH would soon look to remove him as President of the youth program as well. Many families have removed their children from the program and gone to club and other town teams. No actions were ever taken against Mark as they feared there would be retribution at the HS level should their children go back and play for their HS team.
That's not disappointing at all. Talk to the players that have graduated over the past 5-6 years none of them would play for him again if given the chance. It's one thing to coach and it is another to belittle them so they don't even have any respect for you and don't care if they win or lose. He has had such control over the hockey in general in Peabody at every level that there hasn't been many incoming kids that want to go to Peabody High. That just doesn't hurt hockey but other sports as well. Be curious to see if all his checks and balances panned out with ice time, funds, ect with all his teams.