By Marc Raimondi
Larry Carradine, who coached the Benjamin Cardozo girls' basketball team for 26 years, resigned from the Bayside school Tuesday morning, the TimesLedger has learned.
Taking over the Judges for the remainder of the season will be Vincent O'Donoghue, who has coached boys' basketball at the now-defunct Power Memorial HS and Wingate HS in Brooklyn. He is also the Cardozo JV girls' volleyball coach.
Cardozo (3-11 Queens AA) has only one remaining game, Friday afternoon against Banneker, and will miss the playoffs in one of its worst seasons in recent memory.
One of the team's best players, Nikita Green, quit during last season and Cardozo has incurred some embarrassing losses lately, including a 68-10 drubbing by division rival Francis Lewis on Jan. 16.
“With any team, you're certainly concerned with roster changes,” said Joe Cavallo, Cardozo's athletic director.
Cavallo said Carradine's decision came as a surprise and the Cardozo administration “respects his particular right and prerogative” to step down at this time. Carradine did not immediately return a phone call for comment Thursday afternoon.
O'Donoghue will finish out the season and the school will have a coaching search in the off-season. O'Donoghue will be one of those considered to coach next year and beyond.
“At the conclusion of the year, we'll be interviewing people,” Cavallo said.
Sources told the TimesLedger that there was also unrest among players and parents, who met together last week to discuss their unhappiness. Cardozo forfeited its last game, last Friday against Boys & Girls, because no players showed up.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Marc Raimondi by e-mail at mraimondi@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
