Football: Gerard O’Donnell Steps Down at Manchester

Gerard O'Donnell said Wednesday that he is stepping down for personal reasons after eight seasons at Manchester, where he led the Hawks to one of only two state playoff appearances in program history.

O'Donnell's teams went 27-42 in his eight seasons, including 3-7 this past fall, reaching the state playoffs in 2010 for only the second time in team history during a 6-4 season. That marked Manchester's first winning season since 1999. The Hawks have never won a state playoff game.

O'Donnell, who has been an active member in the Shore Football Coaches Foundation and heavily involved in the annual U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic, also has a son currently playing at the high school level at Monsignor Donovan.

There are now vacancies at four Shore Conference football programs as the school year winds down. In addition to Manchester, spots have yet to be filled at Keyport, Neptune and Wall.