Fairfax HS coaches accused of paying nearly $8K to recruit football player
Fairfax HS coaches accused of paying nearly $8K to recruit football player
Two coaches at Fairfax High School are on leave following allegations centering around football recruiting in Northern Virginia.
WASHINGTON - Two coaches at Fairfax High School are on leave following allegations centering around football recruiting in Northern Virginia.
Fairfax County Public Schools officials confirmed to FOX 5 that two coaches were placed on administrative leave, tied to a player recruited during the past school year.
FOX 5 has learned that head coach at Fairfax is Trey Taylor and an assistant coach are the ones placed on leave.
A parent of the player in question sent a letter to FCPS officials:
"The football program at Fairfax High School recruited and paid for my son to transfer to play on the 2024–2025 varsity football team. We received a total of $7,950 — $5,000 in cash, and $2,950 sent via Venmo."
The allegation is that the money was used to help pay for an apartment, so the family could move into the school boundary.
What they're saying:
Barry Thompson, who runs the Fairfax Football Academy and trains young quarterbacks, shared his thoughts.
"Obviously, as a coach, you don't take a player who you think is gonna hurt the team, right? The coach must've thought — and again, we don’t know the details — but whoever okayed it must’ve thought it might help the team. And maybe help the player too. In this instance, it obviously didn’t work out."
Big picture view:
Just last year, another FCPS football team — Hayfield Secondary School — was caught up in a similar controversy.
It led to the head coach leaving the program, and a back-and-forth between officials about whether Hayfield was even eligible for the playoffs.
Fairfax’s Trey Taylor was one of six FCPS football coaches who signed a letter threatening not to participate in the playoffs if Hayfield’s team was allowed in.
FCPS says it's working with the football program here to make sure the season — which starts soon — gets the help and support it needs.
New statement:
Fairfax County Public Schools responded to FOX 5's request for statement on Thursday, saying:
"Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has placed two Fairfax High School football coaches on administrative leave following a preliminary review into allegations received last week regarding player recruitment during the past 2024-2025 school year.
We are working with independent, outside investigators to understand what may have happened and will take appropriate action as necessary, following the results of the investigation.
While the investigation is looking into allegations of past player recruitment from the prior 2024-25 school year, FCPS has already revamped the process used to vet all student transfers for athletic eligibility. We have worked closely with the Virginia High School League (VHSL) as they also modified eligibility rules for the 2025-26 school year.
A significant change is that the athletic eligibility of all student transfers is now managed centrally by the FCPS Office of Student Activities and Athletics. This coordinated effort among several FCPS departments is now ensuring compliance with the new VHSL policies and consistent application of all policies across all of the division’s 25 VHSL member schools.
We are coordinating closely with Fairfax High School to provide the football team and families any support they may need, including developing plans regarding practice schedules and interim coaching support."