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Darien coach Mike Forget on the sideline during a football game between Maloney and Darien at Darien High School, Darien on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.
Pete Paguaga/Hearst Connecticut
Mike Forget is stepping down as the head coach of the Darien football team after guiding the Blue Wave to 18 wins and a CIAC Class LL championship in two seasons.
Forget, who has been a part of the Blue Wave program since 2012, including eight seasons as the defensive coordinator, resigned on Thursday.
“Today, I tendered my resignation as the DHS football coach effective immediately,” Forget wrote in a text to GameTimeCT. “After devoting 11 years to the program and enjoying much success, it is time for me to move on to my next adventure.
“I am sad to be leaving but have truly enjoyed my time. To all the young men I have had the pleasure of coaching in the Darien community, I wish you nothing but the best.”
“Mike resigned today and we wish him the best of luck,” Darien athletic director Chris Manfredonia said. “He was with us for 11 years and won a state championship, brought out kids through COVID, and we wish him the best of luck in whatever he decides to do next.”
With Forget as head coach the past two years, the Blue Wave was 18-5 overall.
In 2021, Darien was 12-1 and captured the CIAC Class LL championship, the program’s fourth state championship in six seasons. They defeated rival New Canaan 24-10 in the semifinals, and routed Fairfield Prep 42-7 in the final.
This fall, the Wave went 6-4 and finished in ninth place in Class L, just outside the playoff bubble. It was the first time Darien had missed the state playoffs since 2012, when it finished 10th in Class L.
Forget had spent eight seasons as Darien’s defensive coordinator, helping to build a team which went 81-11 with three state championships and five finals appearances from 2012 to 2019.
Following the 2019 season, Rob Trifone stepped down as head coach after 13 years and Forget was eventually named the new head coach.
Darien, which has been one of Connecticut's elite high school football programs for the past decade-plus, will now begin a search for its next coach.
"We’ll post this immediately," Manfredonia said. "We'll start going through applications and then interviewing candidates shortly thereafter."
David.Stewart@hearstmediact.com; @dstewartsports