Wisconsin HS football program in ‘utter shock’ as seven coaches resign after several are put on leave
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One Wisconsin high school football program has started its season with a coaching catastrophe.
Seven coaches at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wis. have resigned just weeks into the 2026 season, WISN reported earlier this week.
The shocking news comes after the school’s principal, Matthew Lesar, notified parents of the football program on Aug. 6 that multiple coaches were being placed on leave.
“We want to inform you that, effective immediately, several members of our football coaching staff have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with District policy while the District conducts a confidential personnel investigation,” his statement said, according to FOX 6.
“Please note that at no time has there been any concern regarding the safety or well-being of any of our student-athletes. Because this is a personnel matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”
The reasons why several of the coaches resigned remain unclear, but WISN reported that the school’s investigation “centers on messages in a coach group chat shared with school administrators.”
Just four of the program’s 11 coaches originally on staff remain with the team this season, with the team’s defensive coordinator, Cody Schumitsch, serving as interim head coach, according to WISN.
Nevertheless, the sudden shakeup has left those in and around the program shaken.
“Complete, utter shock,” Shane Cohen, father of senior quarterback Colton, told WISN. “Because we know that the coaches that were previously here, the ones that resigned, bleed green and green and white.
“They’re Hale people. True and true. So again, we don’t know what truly happened.”
Despite the puzzling situation, Cohen said that the players want to keep the focus on the field going forward.
“It’s about the kids. They’re excited for the season, and they have been working their tails off, really, to show 2026 is going to be a good season for Hale football,” he added.
According to MaxPreps, Nathan Hale played its first game Friday, losing 41-7 to Kaukauna High School.