West Allis Hale High School has confirmed to the Journal Sentinel that coaches within the Hale football program have resigned with the 2026 high school football season set to begin Thursday, Aug. 20.
Here’s what we know about the situation, starting with the initial letter given to parents and players of the Hale program on Aug. 6.
The initial document sent out to families on coaches being placed on leave
In a letter obtained by the Journal Sentinel on Monday, Aug. 17, Hale principal Matthew Lesar wrote to the football families regarding “several” coaches being placed on administrative leave while the district conducted a “confidential personnel investigation.”
“We want to inform you that, effective immediately, several members of our football coaching staff havebeen placed on administrative leave in accordance with District policy while the District conducts aconfidential personnel investigation,” Lesar said. “Administrative leave is a standard District procedure utilized duringcertain investigations and should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing or an indication of guilt.”
Lesar also noted that there was no concern over any player’s safety or well-being and since the matter was a personnel issue, no other details were being made public at the time.
Four days later, Hale confirms coach resignations, new interim coach
On Aug. 10, four days after Lesar’s initial letter to the Hale football families, Lesar wrote a follow-up letter, confirming the resignation of “several members of the coaching staff.”
“As we move forward, our focus is on providing stability and continuity for our student-athletes and ensuring they have the support they need for the rest of the season. We are pleased to share that our current defensive coordinator, Coach Cody Schumitsch, will serve as the interim head coach as we begin the search for a permanent head coach,” Lesar said. “Coach Schumitsch is a 2015 Nathan Hale graduate/player and has served as an assistant coach for the past several years, bringing valuable experience and familiarity with our student-athletes and Huskies football program.”
Lesar noted in the letter that an optional parent meeting to “have an opportunity to meet Coach Schumitsch and other members of the coaching staff and discuss plans for the upcoming season” would be held Aug. 12. A team cookout is also scheduled to take place Aug. 19, two days before Hale’s 2026 season-opening contest against Kaukauna at home.
One of the coaches also confirmed stepping away from the program. Ryan Teetz, a longtime member of the program, confirmed on Facebook that he would be leaving the coaching staff.
“With a lot of emotion, I am announcing that I will be stepping away from the Nathan Hale Football program and school as a whole,” Teetz said. “For the majority of my life, I have been intertwined with the Nathan Hale Football program. Coaching was something I always knew I would eventually do because, quite simply, it is in my blood. My grandfather, parents, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins have all been teachers and/or coaches at some point in their lives. Nathan Hale Football has been a family affair for generations, and that will always be something I am incredibly proud of.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Several coaches have resigned from West Allis Hale football program
Reporting by Michael Whitlow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michael Whitlow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
