Migneault resigns as Bishop Guertin boys basketball head coach

Jim Migneault has coached basketball for a long time.

He’s also been around long enough to know that there are certain people a high school coach needs to have on his side.

After a meeting with the Bishop Guertin High School administration late last week, Migneault decided it would be in the best interest of everyone if the Cardinals’ head coach stepped down.

“It was a difference in philosophies,” Migneault said Tuesday. “They wanted to make a change. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I have a way of doing things. It was better for me, the kids, the program, if I resigned. If you don’t have the administration’s backing, it’s hard to coach.”

Migneault said he had an hour-long meeting on June 30 with principle Jason Strniste in which the two discussed, among other things, his coaching style.

“I could see we were pretty far apart with what they were looking for and how my coaching style fit in,” Migneault said. “With the timing, if I didn’t resign, it wouldn’t do the kids any good.”

Bishop Guertin athletic director Peter Palladino said the administration would decline comment at this time. In an email sent Tuesday to current players, Palladino announced that assistant coach John Fisher would be taking over summer activities and expressed hope that Migneault would “remain involved with BG in the future.”

“During his nine years as coach, (Migneault) fielded several outstanding teams and made strong contributions to the overall Bishop Guertin community,” the email added. “Coach Migneault remains a valued member of the Bishop Guertin community. We wish him the best.”

A post for the position on the school’s website says applications will be taken until the position is filled, and will start being considered on July 22.

In nine years with the Cardinals, Migneault compiled a record of 113-87, reached the final four three times, and went to the championship game twice, winning it all in 2011 for the program’s first title since 1983.

Prior to Bishop Guertin, Migneault coached two years at Raymond and six at Merrimack.

The change comes at a time when most head coaching positions in the state have already been filled, and teams are going through summer scrimmages in preparation of next season.

“Yeah, I’m in shock,” Migneault said. “We were getting ready for the season and the summer is going well. It seemed like we were heading in the right direction. That’s one of the things we had a difference of opinion on.

“We’ve had great kids come through the program, and my time there, I enjoyed it. I think I did a lot of good things for a lot of kids, and hopefully, that’s how I’ll be remembered.”

Migneault said he would try to catch on as an assistant coach somewhere for the upcoming basketball season, and hopefully find a position as a head coach for the following year.

“I’m not that old yet, I’ve still got another 10 years in me,” he said. “I’ll have to weigh my options and see what would be the best fit.”