Wrestling coach hits wrestler during a match, gets a lifetime ban

NAMPA — A Rocky Mountain High coach received a lifetime ban from coaching Idaho high school sports after striking a wrestler from an opposing school last weekend. A video of the incident shows Russell Brunson entering the ring and hitting a freshman from Nyssa, Ore., at least three times during a match against Brunson’s son at the Skyview Duals on Saturday in Nampa.

Officials had to stop the match to clear the Rocky Mountain assistant coach from the mat. He was not ejected from the tournament, West Ada spokesperson Niki Scheppers said.

Brunson explained in a letter Monday to the District Three Board of Control that he thought his son was put into an illegal choke hold and feared he was about to pass out. The board serves as the local arm of the Idaho High School Activities Association, the state governing body.

“As a coach, the normal reaction would be to yell and point it out to the ref, but my reaction as a dad took it one step too far,” Brunson wrote. “What would you do if your kid was getting choked out, just 2 feet in front of your face? If I had more time, I probably could have made a better decision. But it all happened, I panicked, and it was over in less than three seconds.”

Brunson resigned from his volunteer coaching position Sunday, Scheppers said. The board of control then banned Brunson from coaching any IHSAA sport or activity for life Tuesday. It also barred Brunson from attending any IHSAA sporting event for the rest of this school year and the 2024-25 year.

“The board felt the actions of coach Brunson were egregious and unacceptable,” board president Craig Woods wrote in a letter Tuesday to Rocky Mountain. “There is no place for this type of behavior in high school athletics, and it will not be tolerated.”

Scheppers said Brunson plans to appeal the ban on attending events. His son will finish his senior season next month. Brunson declined an interview request Wednesday, instead providing a statement.

“There is no excuse for my actions on January 20th,” he wrote in a text message. “I should not have stepped onto the mat and tried to break up the wrestling match. I saw my child in a potentially dangerous position and reacted rashly. I have reached out to the (Nyssa wrestler’s) family directly and sincerely apologized for my inappropriate reaction.”

The Nyssa School District has not ruled out seeking criminal charges, Nyssa Athletic Director Joshua De Anda told the Idaho Statesman in an email.

“We are collaborating with the family, athletic associations, school district officials and, if necessary, law enforcement to investigate this incident,” De Anda wrote. “Both Nyssa High School and Nyssa School District are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.”

The West Ada School District is also investigating, Scheppers said. She could not provide a timeline for the investigation Wednesday.

Brunson apologized for hitting a student in his letter to the board and wrote that it was not premeditated.

“My initial reaction (as you’ll see from the video) was correct,” Brunson wrote. “I yelled that he was getting choked and tried to show the ref. But in the last two seconds, I was wrong.

“I don’t know what happened. I was scared, and my instinct was to push the other kid off of him so the choking would stop and he could breathe. If I could go back and replay those two seconds of my life, I would. But unfortunately, it’s too late.”