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 affiliate WTTG in Washington D.C., that two coaches — head coach Trey Taylor and one assistant coach — were placed on administrative leave, tied to a player recruited during the past school year.
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.
WTTG's Bob Barnard reported that another FCPS football team — Hayfield Secondary School — was caught up in a similar controversy last year, leading to the head coach leaving the program.
Fairfax’s 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, Barnard reported.
FCPS responded to WTTG'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.
