Brave girl stands up to high school basketball coach who yanked her teammate's ponytail in anger

In a moment that became the definition of women standing up for women, one high school athlete stepped in for her teammate when a coach crossed a line. It happened just after Northville High School’s girls’ basketball team lost the Class D State Championship game, as per CBS6 Albany. Hailey Monroe, a senior and the program’s all-time leading scorer, had fouled out earlier in the match. As she stood on the sidelines, visibly emotional, her longtime coach Jim Zullo walked up behind her, grabbed her ponytail, and yelled in her face, reported the New York Post. 

That's when one of Monroe’s teammates immediately intervened and stood up for her. The moment garnered a lot of attention on social media, prompting immense backlash and sparking a conversation about accountability, leadership, and support among women. But what likely stood out the most from that night was the quiet courage of the teammate who chose to protect Monroe in a vulnerable moment.

The video was also shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @kirawontmiss, where many echoed that sentiment. @uTobian wrote, "From the looks of it, that's not the first time he's done that." @DPhelps116 added, "The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced that men should not coach girls' sports. Women are better suited for the role."

@PhillyTeslaDad commented, "If you can’t get your point across without being physical, then you are neither a leader nor a teacher." @corgi408 said, "Standing up for your friend when adults cross the line shows true courage." @ADCoachG noted, "Great to see her teammate stand up for her and not bow down." 

Zullo, 81, was fired soon after. In a statement shared by his son, he said, "I deeply regret my behavior following the loss to La Fargeville Friday night in the Class D state championship game. I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools, and our community."

He continued, "As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry. I wish I could have those moments back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached girls' basketball at Northville the past two years, especially last season, which was a difficult time for our family. I am super proud of every one of these young women and what they have accomplished. I know each of them will go on to do great things, and I wish them well."

The district also issued a statement, calling the behavior "completely unacceptable" and confirming Zullo would no longer be part of the athletic program, reported Times Union. They said, "The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs. We will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support." Zullo had come out of retirement to coach the team and was a Hall of Fame coach in New York with more than 500 wins across his decades-long career. His return was reportedly encouraged by his late wife.