Menendez High School in St. Augustine, Fla., made one of the biggest splash hires in the country this past January when the school lured Kenny Sanchez away from Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman.
And two games in, the Sanchez era is already over at Menendez.
The school confirmed Friday that it had relieved Sanchez of duties after getting out to a 1-1 start to the 2020 season.
"We regretfully inform you that Kenny Sanchez has been relieved of his duties as Head Football Coach of Menendez Falcons Football," the school said in a statement, via The St. Augustine Record. "We will move forward with a mission to build young men of character while pursuing victory with honor. Coach Galella will be stepping in as Interim Head Football Coach. Practices for today and tomorrow have been canceled. We will stay on schedule for next week with practices and events."
The younger brother of former UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez, Kenny arrived at Menendez after 11 seasons at Bishop Gorman. After helping Gorman to a 85-5 record with six NIAA Class 4A state titles as Tony's defensive coordinator from 2009-14, Kenny ascended to the head coaches' chair when Tony left for UNLV.
He led the Gaels to a 65-8 record in his five seasons as head coach, while extending Gorman's run to 10 straight state championships before the streak ended in the 2019 Desert Region final.
The reason for Sanchez's dismissal is shrouded in mystery. The Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote that Sanchez got into a verbal confrontation with a disgruntled parent and the Menendez AD following the club's 28-3 win over Gainesville Eastside on Thursday night. News4Jax also reported the dismissal stems back to a Thursday night altercation between the coach, a parent and the AD; the station also reports he Sanchez was on a 1-year probationary period and his contract could be dismissed without cause.
Adding to the question marks swirling around this story: the AD that fired Sanchez, Patrick Turner, is also Menendez's offensive coordinator. He did not promote himself to interim head coach.
This interview was taken after the game, either shortly before or shortly after the alleged job-ending incident.
Sanchez resigned from Bishop Gorman in January and landed the Menendez job in June.
As always, stay tuned to the High School Scoop for the latest.