Head coach of the Langley Rams football team has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, Mounties confirmed this week. But he maintains his innocence.
Howie Zaron, 45, who coached the Rams to the Canadian Bowl in 2019, has been charged after a Langley RCMP drug section investigation led to a search of a home and vehicle in Brookswood in April.
乌鸦传媒淚 strongly believe that the charge is not going to stick,乌鸦传媒� Zaron told the Langley Advance Times.
乌鸦传媒淢y friends and family know who I am, and this is not it,乌鸦传媒� Zaron said.
The April searches by police turned up a small amount of cocaine, packaged in what Cpl. Holly Largy said was 17 乌鸦传媒渇laps,乌鸦传媒� some cash, packaging materials, and a small scale. It was a relatively small-scale bust, according to the RCMP.
Langley RCMP announced the charges a week ago, on July 16, but did not release Zaron乌鸦传媒檚 name at the time. An anonymous tip advised the Langley Advance Times that Zaron had been charged.
Zaron said he has done nothing wrong, and he will not step aside from his coaching post unless he is asked to do so. He expressed concern about the damage his arrest will have on local minor football.
His lawyer, David Milburn, said Zaron just found out about the charge on Wednesday, July 22 and he hasn乌鸦传媒檛 yet seen disclosure from Crown counsel.
READ MORE:
Zaron is expected to appear in Surrey Provincial Court to face the charges on Aug 4.
Dana Matheson, president of the Langley Rams, said he was unaware of the charge before he was contacted by the Langley Advance Times on Wednesday, July 22.
But, he confirmed, the club乌鸦传媒檚 board of directors has clear protocols that any coach facing criminal charges is automatically suspended until the case is resolved.
乌鸦传媒淥ur board, it乌鸦传媒檚 probably worth noting, has decided that any time there乌鸦传媒檚 a legal issue that comes up with any coaches, until the investigation is complete乌鸦传媒� I mean we乌鸦传媒檝e never been in this situation before, but this is how we operate as a board, any time something like this does comes up the coach is suspended until further notice 乌鸦传媒� until the charges are either dropped or we get further knowledge of anything.乌鸦传媒�
Matheson said the justice system has to have time to run its course, and verified that this means Zaron is suspended until further notice.
乌鸦传媒淲e had no prior knowledge of this乌鸦传媒�,乌鸦传媒� Matheson added.
乌鸦传媒淲e have no details at all and really no comments about anything to do with it because we didn乌鸦传媒檛 know. We were completely blindsided. We乌鸦传媒檝e never known coach Zaron to have any issues. He乌鸦传媒檚 never caused us any problems. He乌鸦传媒檚 been A1 as a football coach and he乌鸦传媒檚 always said what he乌鸦传媒檚 done, and done what he said. He乌鸦传媒檚 had an unblemished record with us,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淓very season, we run a criminal record check on every coach who takes the field, so on that end, we definitely do our due diligence to make sure there乌鸦传媒檚 no history of anything before we hire any coaches to work with kids,乌鸦传媒� Matheson elaborated. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 been done every single year 乌鸦传媒� obviously. And his name was never associated with anything other than, I guess going way back into the 乌鸦传媒�90s.乌鸦传媒�
Zaron has been before the courts in B.C. before, but not for many years. In 1996, he was found guilty of a 1995 assault. Zaron would have been approximately 19 at the time of the incident.
乌鸦传媒淣othing has been on our radar乌鸦传媒� Coach Howie has been with us the last two, two-and-a-half years now. He乌鸦传媒檚 been a role model coach and he乌鸦传媒檚 been a model coach and there乌鸦传媒檚 been absolutely no red flags with him or no issue, no concerns, no problems, no nothing,乌鸦传媒� the president said.
A member of the B.C. football community for more than 20 years, Zaron joined the Rams in 2017 when he was named the new general manager, with Matt Blokker as head coach.
He乌鸦传媒檇 coached with Langley Minor Football and North Surrey Minor, winning B.C. Community Football Championships.
A Langley native, Zaron was also head coach of the Valley Huskers from 2006 to 2009, and won back-to-back Ranji Mattu Awards as BCFC coach of the year in both 2007 and 2008.
By the 2018 season, Zaron had become interim head coach, a position that became permanent. He oversaw multiple winning seasons for the Rams.
乌鸦传媒淲e are with our coach, and we believe in him,乌鸦传媒� the president added. 乌鸦传媒淗opefully nothing more comes of it, and we can get him back on the sidelines,乌鸦传媒� Matheson concluded.
READ MORE:
Like us on and follow us on
