Head coach placed on leave after Mariner High School lock-in incident

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—The Lee County School District has removed Mariner High School's head football coach and an assistant coach from their positions following a recent lock-in event.

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According to a letter from Mariner's principal shared by the district, there was no hazing but there was a lack of supervision at the lock-in. Four non-district assistant coaches have been fired.

Head Coach Tyran Jones and Assistant Coach Kaycie Zorbas have been relieved of coaching duties and placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation. The district says it will discipline students whose behavior "violated our expectations."

Students whose behavior violated expectations are facing disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct, though the district did not say what that means or what discipline looks like, citing privacy laws.

WINK News spoke with players and parents in the parking lot, several of whom did not want to go on camera but said they stand behind their coach and that any allegations of wrongdoing are false.

An equipment manager for the team said the head coach is like a father figure.

"He never put us in like any danger matter or made us think our life was at risk with him, or whatever," Gariyanie W. said. "He always made sure we was good, always put him before, always put us before him. So, like all the storylines and stuff, they're just false. And he will be back soon, and our season is still going on."

To keep the program running, Doug Faasse, a Mariner High teacher and assistant coach who was not at the lock-in, has been named Interim Head Coach.

Assistant Coach Luis Esposito, a teacher at Hector A. Cafferata Jr. K-8 who also did not attend the lock-in, will remain on staff alongside new additions Martin Cardenas, Jake Arbuckle, Justin McEwen and Adrian Shipman.

The team was informed of the changes at the start of practice, and the school says it is confident the new coaching staff is prepared and committed to leading with integrity.