In a stunning move, St. Thomas Aquinas has let go of head football coach Tarig Holman, all of his assistants, and first-year boys’ basketball coach Austin Whitehurst, Central Jersey Sports Radio has learned from multiple reliable sources.
No official word was given as to the reason why.
Phone calls and messages to Athletic Director Jerry Smith and Principal Harry Ziegler seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Holman had an unprecedented run in three seasons, going 27-6. He came on board from JFK after the sudden passing of Brian Meeney in the spring of 2001, and continued the success that Meeney had built.
Following Meeney’s 9-1 team in 2020, Holman had the Trojans go 9-2 in 2021, 10-1 in 2023, and 8-3 this past season with a playoff win, the program’s first since 2001.
Aquinas has not lost a single game to a Big Central Conference opponent since Meeney was coach. They have won 31 straight against the Big Central, with their last loss coming to in 2020 to Bernards, which, ironically, has the league’s second longest win streak against conference opponents, now at 23 games.
The news comes less than two months after new boys’ basketball coach Austin Whitehurst was suspended for the first eight games of this season by the NJSIAA for having impermissible contact with a student-athlete at another high school. He was hired in April to replace Bob Turco, who left to become the new head coach at Piscataway.
Whitehurst never got to coach a game for the Trojans, who are 5-3 in the eight games he sat out, the last of which came last night in a 64-45 home win over Monroe. Aquinas’ next game is scheduled for next Tuesday at home against Old Bridge at 7 pm.
This story will be updated as as additional developments warrant.
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It’s very interesting to me that both of the St. Thomas Aquinas head coaches were both minorities(Black). I’m sure some legal issues will be addressed and the school as well as the NJSIAA will have to answer a lot of questions and reveal their “sources” for the alleged infractions! I went to Asbury Park HS in the 70’s right after the riots and as an athlete, faced prejudice and unfair treatment because many of our athletes were Black. We fight for the rights of everyone else except Blacks in America and it’s sad because of the contributions we’ve made to make this country a better place for everyone, except us. We’re still 2nd class citizens, unless we have money! Unfortunately, some things never change!