Tyler Russo (middle) hoists the Elite 8 trophy for Cushing. (Brian Kelly/NEHJ)
Tyler Russo, Max Dineen and Ryland Randle were walking to class last spring. They were on alert.
Paul Pearl, then Cushing’s head coach, had just texted the team to arrive at a team meeting later that day, which was abnormal for late March.
The trio of then-Cushing juniors figured out why a meeting was scheduled: One of them came across a Dexter Southfield Instagram post announcing the hiring of Pearl as its next athletic director.
Russo, Dineen and Randle quickly headed for their head coach’s office. Pearl had arrived as Cushing’s head coach in 2021. A quick exit just three years later came as a surprise.
“Oh, my God,” Pearl told them. “I’m so sorry, guys. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.”
