By DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
The North Adams Community School Board accepted the resignation of head boys basketball coach Jonathon Fuelling Tuesday night at its Tuesday meeting.
Fuelling had been the coach for the past six seasons. A science teacher at Heritage High School, Fuelling accepted the job when the Bellmont program was struggling after winning just seven games in the two seasons prior to his arrival. Originally a coach on the girls side while at Columbia City and at Heritage, Fuelling left the program in better shape than he found out with postseason wins in three of the last four seasons and without a losing record in any of the last three years.
“Jonathon said it was a difficult decision,” admitted Bellmont AD Dale Manis. “He is such a professional as a coach. His kids were always prepared.”
Fuelling will spend next year as father instead of coach for his youngest son, Kord, who was one of the leading scorers for the Braves this year.
“If you think about the road he had to go through,” noted Manis, whose son, Brady, also played for Fuelling, ” and some of the great teams that were in our sectional. From Marion to Norwell to some of the best Heritage teams there have been in a while, it was tough to find postseason success, but he was competitive with his teams in the postseason.”
Manis noted that there is interest within the program in terms of a replacement, but that a thorough search would take place to find the right person to guide the program into the future.
“I wish Jonathon the best and he is an exceptional teacher and father and I know that he will pour his time into those two things now that he has stepped away from coaching and he will be even better for it.”
Fuelling’s record at Bellmont finished at an even 72-72.