Pullen resigns as Dunbar athletic director

The Dayton Public Schools board of education accepted the resignation of Pete Pullen as the Dunbar High School athletic director during Thursday’s school board meeting. He remains the Wolverines’ boys basketball varsity head coach.

Pullen’s resignation as AD coincides with the Dunbar football team having forfeited its Weeks 9-10 games last month for playing an academically ineligible player. That resulted in Dunbar not qualifying for the Division IV, Region 16 football playoffs.

Dunbar’s forfeits also had a collateral effect on playoff positions for other teams. Southwest Ohio Public League and City League rival Belmont benefited enough to make the D-III, Region 12 field, losing to St. Marys Memorial in its opener. However, Cincinnati Princeton (D-II) and Piqua (D-III) were bumped from qualifying for the postseason.

Dunbar was 9-1 on the field and 7-3 after the forfeits. The Ohio High School Athletic Association confirmed Dunbar’s forfeits the day after the regular season. Dunbar football coach Darran Powell said supporters might pursue a court-ordered injunction that could allow Dunbar back into the playoffs. That did not happen.

Pullen was not available and did not return requests for comment. Powell indicated he will not resign as football coach. All supplemental coaching contracts for full-time Ohio teachers and contracts for non-teachers are for one year and are annually reviewed. Pullen is retired from teaching. Powell said he is a paraprofessional at the school.

Powell was a senior starter at guard for Dunbar on the 2006 basketball team that won the first of four D-II state titles with Pullen as coach.

All DPS high schools — Belmont, Dunbar, Meadowdale, Ponitz, Stivers and Thurgood Marshall — have their own athletic directors. DPS director of athletics Mark Baker oversees the ADs. Also a Dunbar graduate and former Wolverines basketball great, Baker is in his first year in that position after succeeding Jonas Smith this past summer.

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