Donny Panapada has quit as head coach of the Stamford High School football team in the middle of a game. He resigned at halftime on Friday during the team’s loss to Warde in Fairfield.
What happened at the game
According to CT Insider, Stamford principal Matthew Forker sent an email to parents on Tuesday to “provide closure” on the situation. In the email, Forker said Panapada “engaged in exchanges with our student athletes and demonstrated poor judgement while coaching the first half of the game against Warde.”
Panapada then told his players and athletic director Chris Passamano that he was resigning. He stayed at Warde High School but did not coach during the second half.
Stamford was trailing by 30 points at halftime. The team lost 42-14 and ended the game with a 3-3 record for the season.
Principal says resignation stays
As per Forker’s email, Passamano met Panapada, the coaching staff and some players on Saturday morning “to better understand the circumstances surrounding coach Panapada’s decision to resign mid-game.” After that, it became clear there was not “a viable path forward for coach Panapada to rescind his resignation and resume his role as head coach,” the email said, according to CT Insider.
Forker said he met Panapada on Monday, and the coach showed remorse. “His actions fell short of the standards and expectations we have for the head coach of the Stamford High School football program,” Forker wrote, adding that the resignation remains in effect.
Forker also said families had written to him in support of the coach. As per Patch, he wrote: “It is clear that Coach Panapada has the support of families who believe he has been a positive influence in their children’s lives. We recognize and appreciate the relationships he has built with his players and the contributions he has made to the Stamford High School football program. Those contributions are not diminished by the circumstances surrounding his resignation.”
“However, a head coach has a responsibility to lead by example and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the student athletes, coaching staff, and the entire school community, no matter the circumstances,” Forker continued, per CT Insider.
“Confrontational exchanges with student athletes during a game, in front of a large crowd of families from both schools, followed by an in-game announcement of his resignation and a decision not to resume coaching responsibilities, are inconsistent with the standards we expect from those entrusted to lead our student athletes.”
Panapada’s record and what’s next
According to CT Insider, Panapada became Stamford’s head coach in 2022 and had a 16-31 record in five seasons. The team went 7-4 in 2023 and reached the CIAC Class LL tournament, its first postseason spot in 28 years. Stamford was 1-9 in both 2024 and 2025, as per the outlet. Before Stamford, he coached Trinity Catholic for six seasons and had a record of 25-39.
Forker said no interim head coach will be named. The current staff will coach the team for the rest of the 2026 season. The Black Knights are seventh in the CIAC Class LL playoff standings. They play at home against St. Joseph (5-0) at noon on Saturday. St. Joseph is ranked second in the GametimeCT Top 10 poll.