Embattled Canfield High baseball coach resigns

CANFIELD -- A head high-school baseball coach who is charged with 11 misdemeanor counts of gambling has resigned, effective Dec. 5.
At a special meeting Thursday, the Canfield Board of Education accepted the resignation of Tony Ross. He will retain his teaching position.
Canfield police charged Ross in August with holding several Texas Hold 'Em tournaments for profit. Ross had said he helped organize the tournaments to benefit the high school baseball team.
Police said Ross reported gross proceeds of about $60,000 from the tournaments, but only about $1,500 appeared to have been given to student athletes.
Ross was to go on trial Tuesday in Mahoning County Court in Boardman. But after demanding a jury trial, which would have postponed his trial until spring, he came to court with his lawyer and submitted a plea agreement.
But the judge rejected it, court bailiff Colleen Ingram said. The judge will likely accept it at another court hearing Dec. 22, and would then sentence Ross, she said.
Teaching background
Ross has been with the school district for about 30 years, said board President Bruce Brocker. He had no comment on the resignation.
Ross' resignation letter offered no explanation, Brocker said. Ross did not attend the meeting.
Schools Superintendent Dante Zambrini said Ross is also the teacher for the Occupational Work Experience-Occupational Work Adjustment program for ninth- and 10th-graders. Pupils in the program attend classes for half a day, then go to work, usually at jobs within the school district. They come back to school after their jobs and have classes with Ross about their work experience, Zambrini said.
Zambrini said Ross had been head baseball coach for six years. Before that, he was head football coach.
Ross could not be reached to comment Thursday.