Jon Barocas, one of Colorado’s most important figures in schoolboy lacrosse for nearly three decades, abruptly resigned as head coach for East boys.
A 27-year man, Barocas, whose staff also resigned, said he gave up his position rather than possibly suffer through what he said he feared would be a useless, public fight, one that could hurt the Angels’ program.
“It’s a hard thing to let go,” he said Thursday.
Denver Public Schools athletics coordinator Leslie Moore, who said she could not divulge the nature of the circumstances because of personnel issues, lamented Barocas’ resignation, said she wanted him to stay and that she would back him.
“I didn’t want him to go,” Moore said. “He did a great job with the program and those kids. He’ll really be missed.”
Barocas, who coached lacrosse well before it was sanctioned in 1999 by the Colorado High School Activities Association, said his situation did not involve “DPS … and Leslie (have) been great. It happened to be a certain, select group and involved one of the parents. It’s not something I wanted my family or anybody else dragged through. And it wouldn’t be good for the kids.”
He would not elaborate further, saying only he hoped his Angels team – which won the Colorado championship in 2000 and has been an annual challenger – would stay together and continue to be successful. Barocas has sent numerous players to Division I college lacrosse, including the Ivy League and Johns Hopkins. He is a businessman who does not teach at East.
