Ferris State HC Tony Annese Suspended for Players Smoking After 2022 Championship
Nov 16, 2023
MCKINNEY, TX - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Tony Annese of the Ferris State Bulldogs talks to the media after the game against the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers at the Division II Football Championship held at McKinney ISD Stadium on December 17, 2022 in McKinney, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese will miss his team's Division II playoff opener as he serves a one-game suspension he received after two of his players lit up celebratory cigars in the locker room after last year's national title victory.
The NCAA handed down the punishment in March. In addition to Annese's one-game ban, Ferris State had to pay a $2,500 fine along with $15,383 to the McKinney (Texas) Independent School District for cleaning and repairs to the locker room.
Beyond the cigar smoking, which occurred in a tobacco-free area, the Detroit News' Tony Paul reported at the time the NCAA also disciplined Annese and the school because some Bulldogs players had removed team stickers from the walls of the locker room.
"When I stopped feeling sorry for myself and start to put it into perspective, I know my team will be fighting for me on the sidelines," Annese said of his suspension to Alec Giannakopoulos of WOOD TV8. "... Self pity's the greatest form of self-destruction, so I just gotta suck it up, and be a big boy."
He joked that he could still attend Saturday's game if he purchased a ticket.
Ferris State will look to avenge its earlier loss to Grand Valley State in October. The Bulldogs fell behind by 35 points in the first half but got to within seven in the third quarter before allowing two touchdowns in the final frame.
Grand Valley State is seeded second in its quarter of the Division II playoff bracket.
Ferris State HC Tony Annese Suspended for Future Playoff Game After Cigar Celebration
Mar 23, 2023
MCKINNEY, TX - DECEMBER 18: Ferris State Bulldogs head coach Tony Annese waits for the trophy presentation after the Division II Football Championship game between the Valdosta State Blazers and the Ferris State Bulldogs on December 18, 2021 at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A pair of Ferris State players may have taken things a bit too far during the team's Division II national championship celebration this past December, and now head coach Tony Annese is paying for it.
According to Josh VanDyke of MLive.com, the NCAA announced that Annese will be suspended for one future playoff game following a rules violation due to two Ferris State players being seen smoking cigars in the locker room following the Bulldogs' 41-14 win over Colorado School of Mines on Dec. 17.
Part of the issue is that the game was held at McKinney ISD Stadium, which is on a tobacco-free high school campus in McKinney, Texas. VanDyke noted that Ferris State had already incurred a fine for smoking cigars following the program's Division II national championship in 2021, so the school's administration and coaching staff "warned its players of potential disciplinary actions." Unfortunately, two of them ignored those words of caution.
Ferris State also received a fine after "several players" attempted to remove the team's temporary wall stickers in their locker room after the title game to keep as souvenirs.
The university reportedly applied for an appeal of Annese's suspension, "citing the belief that the sanction was disproportionate to the violation," but the NCAA denied it.
For his part, Annese appears to be willing to accept the punishment and he hopes the situation can provide a lesson for his players.
"As a coaching staff, each day leading up to the National Championship game, we had reminded our players that smoking cigars in celebration would not be allowed," Annese said in a statement. "My team was fully aware that the actions of the two players were inappropriate. No matter how minor the actions may seem, young people need to understand that there are consequences for their actions."
