Longtime Gloucester High School boys track and field coach Jim Munn will resign from his coaching position effective on Nov. 8.
Munn, who has been the indoor and outdoor track and field coach at GHS since November 1993 and the O'Maley Middle School boys and girls cross country coach since 1987, made the decision to resign after being diagnosed with inoperable brain and abdominal cancer approximately three weeks ago. His time will now be devoted to receiving treatment.
Munn, who turns 72 on Monday, sent an official letter of resignation explaining his situation to Gloucester High Athletic Director Kim Patience and also e-mailed the letter to the Times. He plans to coach O'Maley through the last meet of this season on Nov. 6 at the Massachusetts State Middle School Cross Country Championships in Tewksbury.
"It is with considerable sadness that I must submit my resignation as coach of both our wonderful O'Maley Middle School boys and girls cross country teams and Gloucester High school boys track and field programs," said Munn in the letter. "I don't have to elaborate on what these many seasons have meant to me. My only wish is that the young people I have had the pleasure and honor to work with over the years received half as much from me as I have from them."
When reached by phone on Thursday night, Munn said he felt the need to let the information be known.
"In life you just need to play the hand you are dealt," he said. "It has never been my way to hide things.
"Coaching these teams has been the best thing that ever happened to me. There is no way to articulate what these kids have meant to me and what this job has meant to me. We have built a program from the ground up, beginning in middle school. I had to fight with myself a little bit to make this decision."
Munn is among the state's most successful track and field coaches. In indoor track and field, he led the Fishermen to 13 Northeastern Conference championships, 11 undefeated seasons, an All-State championship and six state Class B championships. He was equally as great outdoors, leading Gloucester to 10 NEC championships and an All-State championship. He won over 250 meets and produced over 20 track and field All-Americans.
"I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to have been able to work with, maybe even inspire, so many hundreds, if not thousands, of our community's young people over the years," Munn said.
