Saugus Closes Case of Coach Accused of Hitting Player

Jack Bowman, Saugus High’s veteran football coach, received a vote of confidence from school Principal Cheryl Brown on Friday, one day after he was publicly accused of striking a player during a practice last fall.

After a series of meetings on campus, including interviews with the player and coach, Brown said her conclusion was “things have been manipulated and Jack Bowman is getting a bad rap.”

She added that she considered the case closed and no disciplinary action would be taken against Bowman, the school’s football coach since 1991.

A player who asked not to be identified told The Times that Bowman punched him after a play during practice on Oct. 2. Bowman has denied the accusation, saying he “turned and pushed” the player.

The player on Friday restated his claim that Bowman hit him. “To me, it was a punch,” the player said. “To him it was a shove. They’re so close together . . . I don’t really know. It’s my word against his.”

However, the player also implied he might have been used as a pawn in a plan to discredit the coach.

“There might be a conspiracy and they used me to get him,” the player said. “This thing was blown way out of proportion.” He declined to elaborate.

Bowman could not be reached for comment on Friday’s developments. He has five winning seasons at Saugus and a record at the school of 30-21-2.

Brown and other administrators learned of the allegations against Bowman on Thursday in conversations with Saugus football players.