Antonio steps away from SV football job

Coach cites family concerns in call to resign 2 months after his hiring|

Two months after hiring a new football coach, St. Vincent High School is again searching for someone to implement its plans to lead the Mustangs into the upper echelon of North Bay football.

Former Piner High School head coach John Antonio confirmed last week that he is stepping away from the job he was hired for in November.

Antonio said his decision had nothing to do with the school or the job.

“There are things going on in my personal life that I won’t have settled for at least another couple of weeks, and I have so many irons in the fire I can’t give the St. Vincent program the time it deserves,” he said.

Antonio said he completely supports St. Vincent as it moves its football program forward.

“I want to wish St. Vincent the best of luck in rebuilding its program,” he said. “Principal Patrick Daly is the person to get it done. He is the key.

“St. Vincent needs a coach now so it can move forward. It wouldn’t be fair to make them wait for me to make a decision.”

Antonio said he will, at some point, return to doing what he loves.

“I will definitely find a place to coach,” he said. “Where or when, I don’t know, but I will coach.”

St. Vincent Athletic Director Stan Switala said St. Vincent has some “real good candidates” for the position, and an announcement will be made soon.

“I think people will be surprised,” he said. “Everything happens for a reason, and I think our new coach is going to be really good for the program.”

Antonio was a standout athlete at St. Vincent and a three-time all-league player in football and baseball. After St. Vincent he attended Santa Rosa Junior College and the San Francisco Police Academy. He is now an officer with the Petaluma Police Department.

He has been an assistant coach at St. Vincent and Casa Grande and was head coach at Piner for four years.

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