Players stood at his doorstep Sunday morning, but still Greg Toal didn’t say much.
It had been four days since Don Bosco Prep announced in a press release that its legendary and beloved football coach, who brought nine state titles to the school, had retired, but speculation about why has been fueled by emotion and skepticism about the school’s official explanation.
The fact that Toal was a no-show for the school’s press conference Thursday took conjecture to greater heights among Toal supporters: some current and former players, parents and fellow coaches. Toal, sporting a maroon Don Bosco Prep polo shirt Sunday, told the crew assembled at his home that he’d have “a statement later this week.”
Many expected Thursday’s ceremony would be a fond farewell to the coach with 305 career wins, as well as the introduction of offensive coordinator Mike Teel as the program’s next head coach.
It did not pan out that way.
Don Bosco officials, including President/Director Father James Heuser offered non-committal answers surrounding Toal’s abrupt retirement and the reason for his absence on Thursday, clouding the narrative.
Many questions remain unanswered.
“How are you going to tarnish someone’s legacy like that?” said one former player who wished to remain anonymous because he is still at the school and fears reprisal from school officials. “Even like, ‘Oh, he’s retired. That’s that.’ You should be celebrating this guy’s legacy … I think they did it wrong.
“I think something fishy is going on,” said the player. “I don’t think he deserves any of this. Coach Toal is a great guy. I love Coach Toal. … It’s unfair to him.”
It’s been seven years since Nunzio Campanile left his position as Don Bosco Prep’s offensive coordinator working under Toal before taking over as head coach at Bergen Catholic.
There was a time Campanile, who spent a decade as Don Bosco’s OC and was the mastermind behind an offense that helped propel Don Bosco to a pair of mythical national titles, was a potential candidate to serve as Toal’s successor.
Instead, he took over Don Bosco’s biggest rival, but not before having an emotional sitdown with Toal.
“We’re sitting down at breakfast [just before accepting the Bergen Catholic job] and I said, “Coach, I can’t stay,’” Campanile said Sunday. “I said, ‘I’ve got to take this job. Among all things, I love you and I respect you and think you’re the greatest high school football coach in the history of the state. We can’t have a relationship with you looking over your shoulder thinking I’m over here waiting for you to retire.’
“For Greg, it’s always been like, ‘You retire when you want.’ I told him, ‘You’ve earned that right.’ … I’ve thought that he should go when he’s ready. He shouldn’t go when someone else wants him to go. That bothers me, if that was the case. That’s what I don’t like about this whole situation. In my opinion, he’s not ready to go.”
Toal’s silence on the matter isn’t helping reduce any of that speculation. He was visibly emotional while embracing his players, coaches and parents – one by one – outside his house Sunday.
“You can tell in his eyes that he doesn’t really want to leave,” junior four-star defensive end Tyler Friday said of a man who went 178-29 since 1999 with Don Bosco.
“Hopefully when the smoke clears the truth will come out.”
Standing before a group of 12 players and a handful of assistant coaches and parents outside his house Sunday, Toal only said he would speak on the murky situation later this week.
With rumors continuously running rampant, the state of New Jersey will be waiting.
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