Bergeron yet to sign as new Blair coach

Former American Christian Academy boys' basketball coach Tony Bergeron remains without a team to coach.

Bergeron is expected to take over the program at Blair Christian Academy in Mount Airy. He had planned to finalize everything before this past Monday.

Bergeron, however, a prominent figure at the Five Star Basketball Camp, has yet to sign the contract. The earliest he plans to sign, he said yesterday, would be on June 22. The New York native is in Memphis conducting a Five Star camp.

"I'm excited about the prospects of being at Blair Christian," Bergeron said. "They gave me a verbal commitment that it is a done deal. We just are going to make sure that we have the finances."

Bergeron said he has recruited players from New York, Chicago and elsewhere to play a 40-game schedule against many of the nation's top teams. Finding a sponsor to pay for off-campus housing for those players is an issue.

Kia Jenkins, the athletics coordinator at Blair, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

When contacted last week, Jenkins said, "I don't have much of a comment because we are still in the final stages. . . . We do anticipate that everything will work out as planned."

Bergeron coached at American Christian before the tiny private school in Aston eliminated its high school academic and athletic programs on June 5.

The closing left the three remaining members of last season's American Christian squad looking for places to play. Junior guard Lamont "MoMo" Jones and freshman guard Achraf Yacoubou - two big-time prospects from New York - are planning to following Bergeron to Blair.

The coach has a talented cast with which to surround them.

Darryl McCoy, a 6-foot-10 junior from Connecticut, is expected to be one of Blair's standouts, the coach said. He also plans to bring in 5-10 junior point guard Danny Lawhorne of Connecticut, 6-7 junior power forward Mike Haynes (Chicago), and 6-3 junior guard Lamount Samuels (New York). All were scheduled to enroll at American Christian in the fall.

Inheriting American Christian's schedule, Blair has games scheduled against area powers Academy of the New Church and Norristown next season. Blair is also expected to face national power Oak Hill Academy.