Seaforth fired boys’ basketball coach John Berry.

Berry said in a blog post on his personal website that he “allowed a student who was not yet officially enrolled at Seaforth to participate in two basketball activities, including a pickup basketball game.”

“At the time, I believed the circumstances surrounding the summer activity and the student’s anticipated status made his participation permissible,” Berry said. “That understanding was incorrect. I take responsibility for my decision. As the head coach, it was my responsibility to make absolutely certain that every eligibility and participation requirement had been satisfied before allowing a student to participate. I should have sought clarification before making that decision, and if I could go back, that is exactly what I would do.”

Berry coached the Seaforth boys’ team for two years, leading the Hawks to their best single-season win percentage and their first conference tournament title in the 2025-26 season (Seaforth also won the regular season title that year). He was named the Big Seven Conference Coach of the Year this past winter.

Prior to becoming head coach, Berry coached Seaforth’s junior varsity boys for two seasons.

In his blog post, Berry said he believes factors outside of his coaching infraction led to his termination.

“Based on the circumstances surrounding the decision and information that was subsequently shared with me, I came to believe that concerns unrelated to my specific basketball situation may also have influenced the administration’s decision-making and its unwillingness to consider a lesser consequence,” Berry said. 

Said Berry, “I cannot know everything that was discussed internally, and I do not intend to represent speculation as fact. I can only tell you what I experienced, what was communicated to me, and the conclusions I reached from that information.”

An official representative from Chatham County Schools provided the following statement:

“Seaforth High School is excited about the search for a new men’s basketball head coach. We will not discuss any previous coaches who held that role.”