SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – A Southern California high school football coach lost his job Friday after a video captured him kicking a football in anger during practice that struck one of his own players in the groin.
Adam Brubaker, the second-year head coach at Royal High School, was relieved of his duties just hours before the Highlanders’ season opener. School officials confirmed the decision following a review of the Wednesday incident, according to a statement from Principal Reina Zapata.
In the widely circulated clip, Brubaker appears frustrated after a player tackled and injured a teammate during a non-contact portion of practice. He approaches the group, kicks a football lying on the ground, and the ball strikes the player, identified in reports as Julian, in the groin area. The athlete drops to the ground in visible pain.
Brubaker, 47, has maintained the strike was accidental. “I was frustrated and kicked the ball out of anger, but had no intention of hitting the kid. It happened to hit him in the nuts. I feel horrible. My anger got the best of me,” he told Sports Illustrated’s High School on SI.
He further explained that he wanted to kick the ball far away in frustration. “There was a football in front of me. I was pissed. I wanted to kick the football all the way to Royal Avenue. Instead, it hits (the player) … It was an accident. I didn’t mean to hit him.”
Brubaker said he immediately apologized to the player after practice, and that the player accepted the apology. He also noted that he chose not to delete the practice film, even though he knew it was being recorded. “I had a chance to delete the practice film and I didn’t. I felt that tampering with the footage would be worse,” he said. “I did what I did, I’m going to own up for it.”
The Simi Valley Unified School District completed its review and informed Brubaker of his termination Friday morning. Assistant coach Cody MacArthur was set to lead the team in Friday night’s home opener against Monroe High, with an interim coach to be named shortly.
“The District has completed its review of the incident from earlier this week,” Zapata wrote in a message to parents. “As a result, the leadership of Royal High School’s football program will immediately change.”Brubaker led Royal to a 3-7 record in his first full season. He previously coached at Panorama High.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions online and in local communities. Critics argue the coach’s loss of temper and failure to check on the injured player in the moment warranted immediate dismissal. Others question whether a multi-game suspension and counseling would have been more proportionate for a single outburst after the coach owned the mistake and the player accepted his apology.
Brubaker’s response was measured. “I got fired,” he said. “It is what it is.”The Highlanders opened their season without their head coach, as the school prioritizes student safety and a positive team environment.
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