A beloved and successful head football coach at Maple Mountain High School was ousted on Wednesday with no reason given to players or their families. (Photo: KUTV)
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SPANISH FORK, Utah (KUTV) — A beloved and successful head football coach at Maple Mountain High School was ousted on Wednesday with no reason given to players or their families.
Coach Kalin Hall turned the Golden Eagles from a 1-9 team to an 8-3 in just two seasons. He was already planning ahead for their next season when he got a letter on Wednesday telling him the Nebo School District was not renewing his contract.
As players and their families found out about the news, a petition was started. In just under 48 hours, they gathered nearly a thousand signatures.
“Devastated, we were extremely disappointed,” Kristen Miner, a mother of two of the players on the team, said.
Other parents feel similarly.
“It feels like we’re starting all over again. This school has battled these two years to really develop and become this strong team and for it to just be taken away again. It feels like we’re starting from ground zero,” Marisa Thayn, who has a son in the football program, said.
One parent said Hall is likable person.
“Coach Hall is probably one of the most likable guys I’ve ever met. Loves kids. He turned the program around,” Steve Stonebraker, who also has a son in the football program, said.
He said his son was looking forward to playing his senior year under Hall.
“I asked the legal guy at the office, and he said, Steve, there doesn’t have to be anything in his file because we can fire people just cause, and that’s upsetting.”
Stonebraker shared that a recent player survey of Hall had received a nearly 80-percent approval from the team.
These parents are also upset because they said they had just turned over their booster club and all its funding to the high school just before Hall’s firing. They are questioning the timing of it all.
KUTV asked the Nebo School District why Coach Hall was fired and if they would consider the petition.
They sent a statement, which reads:
“I appreciate your question.
Please be advised that high school coaching positions within our district and across the state are at-will employment. The school administration has decided not to renew the coach for the upcoming school year.
The position has been posted and they hope to have a new coach in place in the next month so they can begin working with the team, and building those relationships that are critical in the world of student athletics.”
KUTV also reached out to Hall, and he sent a statement which reads:
“I want to take a moment to express my deep love and appreciation for my community and the young men who have played for me at Maple Mountain High School. Although the situation that has unfolded lacks clear rationale, it’s important for everyone to understand that our priority should always be the best interests of the kids, putting them above all else. It’s unfortunate that not everyone can see the bigger picture, but despite that, my experiences with the parents and the incredible young men I’ve had the privilege to work with has been nothing short of amazing.”
Utah is an at-will employment state which means an employee can be fired for any reason or no reason at all as long as it is not contrary to the law.
On the Maple Mountain High School Football website, it currently says their Head Football Coach is TBA.
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