Sykes resigns as M-A football coach

"Family comes first," Sykes said. "I've been tossing and turning over it (the decision) for a while. I had told them (the school's administration) back in the spring that sometime in the future, I didn't know what was going to happen. It's gotten tougher and tougher for my wife. She's been very sick. ... I've had to take her to the hospital numerous times."

Sykes said the fact he lives in San Jose but coached in Atherton made it difficult to get home quickly enough in case his wife has any further complications. Also, with his wife ailing, Sykes has to care for his other child.

"I just have to be around to take care of things that need to be taken care of," Sykes said.

Former M-A coach Ben Parks has been brought in to oversee the program and assistant coach Phillip Brown took over the head coaching duties Friday night during the Bears' 24-22, last-second road win over Leigh. M-A athletic director Pam Wimberly said Brown, who is in his second year with the Bears, will remain as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

"We have asked coach Parks to oversee the program: To be out there each day and work with the coaches and a little bit with helping keeping the football team in line," Wimberly said. "I felt this was coming. I really like Bob very, very much. I sat on the selection committee a couple years ago and was very happy with the selection.

"It's very sad to see it come to an ending like this."

Sykes reversed a Bears' program that was struggling with numbers and eligibility issues, despite the fact the team had won a Central Coast Section title as recently as 2002. In 2005, the year before Sykes took over, the Bears were 1-9. In Sykes' two-plus season with the Bears, he compiled a record of 21-6, leading M-A to playoff appearances in both years. Last year, the Bears won the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division championship, snapping Aragon's four-year reign. They advanced to the CCS Large School Division finals, losing a heart-breaking 14-7 decision to Palo Alto.

"I love those kids at Menlo-Atherton. They're a great bunch of kids. I wish them nothing but the best," Sykes said. "We tried to get them going in the right direction, not just in football, but in life in general. We had a good relationship."

Sykes did not announce his resignation to the team in person. M-A quarterback Turner Baty said the school principal announced during a team dinner Thursday Sykes had given his resignation. He also said no reason for the resignation was given.

"Everyone was at first, like, 'Wow. I can't believe what happened,'" Baty said. "But after the win Friday night, and how everyone came together, we're in a positive mood.

"It was a pretty empowering experience for us, to win at the last second."

Baty doesn't believe the coaching change will have an adverse affect on the team.

"We've been playing with each other for so long. Most us have been together three or four years. We're such a tight group. We'll definitely need some guidance but we're a good group of kids," Baty said. "I definitely feel like we'll come out of this as a better team, a stronger team. I feel like there will be a lot of positives coming out of this negative.

"Obviously, it's a bummer to lose your head coach but the way we can stick together, we'll be good."

Wimberly said the search for a new head coach will begin after the season.