St. Augustine football coach fired

Friday night's football game at Absegami will be special for St. Augustine Prep coach Dennis Scuderi, but not because his son, also Dennis Scuderi, is the Absegami coach.

The elder Scuderi will coach his last game for St. Augustine after the school announced Thursday that a "philosophical impasse" had created the need for an immediate change in leadership and direction.

St. Augustine Prep athletic director Tony Iaconelli will coach the team for the rest of the season.

Scuderi said he was "shocked" to be leaving the program after five-plus seasons.

"I guess I got fired for winning," Scuderi said. "Before I got there, they couldn't win a football game."

Scuderi's St. Augustine teams were 37-19. His 2008 team was 10-1 and his 2009 team was 9-1, and both teams won Cape-Atlantic Division titles. Scuderi also had a 53-21 record at Camden Catholic.

The Hermits are 2-3 this season.

Iaconelli said in a statement that Scuderi had "established credibility to a sport that had long suffered at the Prep."

Scuderi said he believed the change was precipitated by the decision this week of two sophomores who were starting both ways to transfer to Holy Spirit.

Scuderi said six of his assistant coaches also will not be with the team after Friday.

"I just feel like it's very unjust that they didn't let us finish the season," Scuderi said.