Harvey Out as Football Coach at Sachem East

is no longer the head football coach at Sachem East, according to a letter he sent to players that was obtained by Sachem Patch.

After going 1-15 the last two seasons, the district will look for another individual to lead the football program on that side of the school district.

Neither Harvey, or Sachem athletic director returned email requests for comment.

"I will not be returning as the head coach of the program next season," Harvey wrote in the letter. "The district has decided to go in a different direction. As of right now, a decision has not been made for my replacement but I have been reassured that they will open up the vacancy for applications to find a new head coach as soon as possible.

"I would like to especially thank the players, coaches, and parents who supported me over the last five years. Most importantly, all members of the touchdown club. My only regret is that we did not have more wins. I wish the incoming head coach the greatest success. Have a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year."

Harvey, a 1989 Sachem graduate, was head coach for five seasons. He coached and taught at Miller Place prior to arriving at Sachem as a middle school coach. Harvey was Sachem's Defensive MVP in 1988 before playing college ball at C.W. Post.

Coaching at Sachem was important to Harvey when he took the job.

"I told the athletic director [when I was hired] I wanted to be at Sachem," he said during a previous interview, "this is where I'm from. I wanted to put my time and energy into a career at Sachem."

All eyes are on Blieberg now, as the district waits to see whom he appoints as head coach. The obvious candidate is assistant head coach , who has coached in the district since the early 1990s and is a dean at Sachem North.

Others who could potentially be in consideration are JV head coach Jimmy Dee, North defensive coordinator , who has not expressed any interest in the position and North assistant Mike Marrato, who teaches at St. Anthony's, and has also come up in conversation with individuals close to the situation. The other option is to go outside the district and input an individual with no current ties to Sachem.

Wojciechowski is the most logical choice because of his passion for Sachem football and ability to coach. His only previous experience as a head coach came during the 2006 season at North when Dave Falco was serving a one-game suspension from being ejected the previous week. The game was a 31-28 win over Ward Melville, which Sachem needed to clinch its first playoff berth since the split and Wojciechowski was the interim head coach for the victory.

The is not the first time a football coach in Sachem has been removed after a lack of wins. Kiernan Lawlor, Sachem's first coach, was replaced after going a combined 0-16 in 1966 and 1967. He later went on to have a successful coaching career at Bayport-Blue Point.

Sachem East finished 2010 as the worst team in Division I at 0-8 and has not won a game since Week 1 of the 2009 season, a 20-15 victory over Commack. Harvey took East to the playoffs for the first time in 2008, but the Arrows lost, 34-0, in the first round to William Floyd.

In five years, Harvey's record was 9-32. He ranks second all-time in East football coaching victories behind Al Bertalone, who compiled a 10-6 record in two short-lived seasons at the helm of the program.

Harvey's last official appearance as East's head coach was at the last Wednesday.

Sachem Patch will continue to report on this developing story as information becomes available.