Lakewood boys basketball coach Vitor Luiz Imbuzeiro has resigned with two weeks left in the regular season after using "inappropriate language" during Friday's 60-24 loss to Lansing Catholic.
While not elaborating on the incident, Lakewood athletic director Wayne Piercefield said it was isolated just to Friday. He then proposed possible penalties to Imbuzeiro, who instead resigned. Piercefield said he did not intend to fire the coach.
"His actions on Friday night are not what we expect from a coach," Piercefield said. "The language was the kind of a threshold we couldn't cross, couldn't back up."
Piercefield and assistant Ed O'Mara will coach the team for the remainder of this season, and Piercefield will then post the job.
He is the interim head coach, and led the Vikings to a 74-38 win on Monday over Ionia, his alma mater.
Lakewood's boys are 5-12 heading into tonight's game against Charlotte. The Vikings were 7-14 last season, the last under longtime coach Mark Farrell. Imbuzeiro played professionally in Brazil and coached 11 seasons in Japan, and a press release from Lakewood conveyed that he felt "this is the best decision for all parties involved."
High school sports editor 
