Stamford football coach resigns at halftime after exchanges with players

Stamford High School coach Donny Panapada resigned at halftime of a game against Fairfield Warde in Connecticut on October 23.

The school said he had confrontational exchanges with players during the first half and showed poor judgment.

Stamford was behind 30-0 at halftime and lost 42-14, leaving the team with a 3-3 record.

Panapada, who had coached Stamford since 2022, later expressed remorse, but school officials said there was no path for him to return.

His overall record at Stamford was 16-31, though the team reached the state playoffs in 2023.

The decision matters because the team has four games left this season without its head coach.

Stamford’s current coaching staff will share head-coaching duties for the rest of the season.