Antone resigns as Essex coach

John Essex head football coach Jerome Antone tendered his resignation Monday effective immediately.

Antone, who also coached boys and girls basketball, will remain as a teacher at the school but stepped down from his role with all JEHS athletic teams.

The resignation comes just three days after Essex suffered a 39-8 Homecoming loss to region foe J.U. Blacksher.

Assistant coach Brad Daniels will serve as the team’s head coach for the remaining four games of the season. Essex is 2-4 through its first six games this season.

Antone walks away from the Essex football program with a record of 11-15 in a little more than two and a half seasons with the Hornets.

Sparse participation marred Antone’s tenure in much the same way it did those of his predecessors. The Hornets entered the 2012 season with only 14 players. Through the first six weeks of the season, a number of them have sustained injuries that are serious enough to threaten the school’s ability to field a team for each of its remaining contests.

Antone’s best season with Essex came in 2010, his first campaign at the school. The Hornets put together a 5-5 record that season, narrowly missing a playoff berth.

Antone was unavailable for comment Monday.