Russell Back on Bellringers Bench

After what amounted to a 54-day suspension, Shaun Russell has been reinstated as the head coach of the girls basketball team at East Hampton High School.
           
Russell was on leave for shoving one of his players during an away game at Valley Regional High School on Dec. 20.  
           
“The investigation of Shaun Russell has been completed and on Monday, February 13, Shaun was reinstated as coach of the girls’ basketball team at East Hampton High School after being on administrative leave since December 21,” East Hampton superintendent of schools Paul Smith said in a statement. “The investigation included interviews with team members, parents, others who wished to go on record, and Mr. Russell. The finding of our investigation indicates that the push from the sidelines, while unwise (and for which he was disciplined), was not done maliciously,”
           
Russell has been coaching the Bellringers for 25 years and has been the school’s Athletic Director for nearly two decades. 
           
During his coaching tenure he has won over 400 games and led the team to multiple conference titles.
           
He was suspended the day following the incident in Deep River and missed the team’s next 15 games.   
           
Russell’s reinstatement allowed him to return in time for the team’s Senior Night on Tuesday, Feb. 14—a game the Bellringers would win 78-46.
           
Interim head coach Allyson Smith led the team in Russell’s absence. Smith was a former all-state player at the high school, finishing as the program’s all-time leader scorer, before going on to be a standout player at Southern Connecticut State University. 
           
Despite the coaching uncertainty, the Bellringers didn’t miss a beat on the court and finished the regular season with a record of 19-1, winning their final 14 games. Their .950 winning percentage was the best in both the Shoreline Conference (SLC) and Class M division, and tied for the second best record in the state. 
           
The team is currently aiming for a fourth straight SLC title and will play Cromwell in the conference title game tonight (Friday, Feb. 24) at Morgan High School in Clinton at 7 p.m.
           
Following the conference finals, the Bellringers will turn their attention to the Class M state tournament as they seek their first state title since 1980.