Manchester football coach Jay Brophy steps down after three seasons
Manchester football coach Jay Brophy has announced his retirement from coaching after three years with the Panthers.
Brophy's teams were 9-19 in the three seasons, including 0-10 this season, after taking over for Jim France for the 2020 season. The 2021 Manchester team went 7-5 and the 2020 Panthers went 2-4 in a shortened season.
Brophy grew up in Akron and was a standout football player at Buchtel High School and graduated in 1979. He played for the 1983 national champion Miami Hurricanes and was a first-team All-American linebacker.
Brophy was a second-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1984 NFL Draft and the team’s rookie of the year. He played in the 1984 Super Bowl and logged four seasons in the NFL, one with the New York Jets.
In a joint statement, Manchester Athletic Director Brody Jackson and Principal Scott Ross said, "We are grateful for Coach Brophy's efforts the last three years, especially with the endless challenges the pandemic presented right out of the gate for him and his staff. He is a great guy with a huge heart, and we wish him the best as he moves on from coaching."
Brophy’s coaching career began at North in 1990 and then he moved to Malone College for four seasons. He was an assistant coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary from 1997-2000 and served as the Irish head coach from 2001-2003.
Brophy coached LeBron James to first-team All-Ohio honors in 2001 and STVM went 20-15 in his tenure. Brophy guided the 2001 STVM team to a 10-4 record, a Division IV, Region 13 title and to a state semifinal appearance. The Irish went 6-5 in 2002 and 4-6 in 2003 under Brophy.
His resume also includes head coaching jobs for the Canton Legends of the Atlantic Indoor Football League and at Sebring. He was also an assistant coach at Buchtel, Cuyahoga Falls and Manchester.
Brophy was on France's staff when Manchester compiled 9-4 records and advanced to the Division V, Region 17 final in 2018 and 2019 with standout player Ethan Wright.
Manchester school administrators will begin the search for his replacement immediately with no set timetable for naming a replacement.
Brophy played at the University of Miami for coach Howard Schnellenberger. Both are in UM’s Sports Hall of Fame, with Brophy being inducted in 2020.
Brophy compiled an 11-tackle performance in Miami’s win over Notre Dame in 1981. As a junior in 1982, Brophy led the Hurricanes with 135 total tackles (89 solo) and received the Jack Harding Award as Miami’s Most Valuable Player. He had big games against Florida (16 tackles and an interception), Mississippi State (18 tackles, interception and fumble recovery) and Maryland (17 tackles).
During the 1983 championship season, Brophy finished second in tackles with 133 (56 solo) and tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. He had 15 tackles, an interception and blocked a field goal against West Virginia and 17 tackles in the bowl-clinching victory over Florida State.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Manchester football coach Jay Brophy steps down after three season
