Just less than a week after being announced as the new head coach for the Saugus girls’ basketball team, Chris Spann has told The Signal that Saugus High School “decided to move in a different direction.”
Spann, who was announced as the new coach for the Centurions on Friday, initially announced in a social media post that he has withdrawn from the role.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Saugus High School was made aware of a video from 2022 that includes a coach, identified by the source as Spann, engaging in a physical altercation with a referee in a youth basketball game.
Based on a report at the time by ABC7 of Los Angeles — which did not name the coach shown in its story — it appeared that no police report was filed with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department over the incident.
When asked for comment, Spann did not directly acknowledge the video, but said in a text message to The Signal that a “past matter was brought forward for administrative review.”
“I made a mistake several years ago, took responsibility, and have worked hard to grow from it,” the message reads. “I believe people deserve the opportunity to move forward, and while I’m disappointed I won’t have that chance here, I remain committed to making a positive impact on student athletes.”
After multiple requests for comment, Saugus High School’s Assistant Principal Richard Gutierrez sent a statement to The Signal thanking Spann for his short time with the program but did not add any additional information on the exact reason for his departure.
“We appreciate his time, energy and interest he invested in our program and wish him nothing but the best moving forward,” the statement reads.
The ABC7 report from 2022 can be viewed at tinyurl.com/yv8vmpv4.
There is no additional information at the time of this publication.
