ALPINE, Utah - Students and football players from Lone Peak High School held a protest march on Monday in support of the school's head football coach Tony McGeary, who resigned last month amid allegations of financial mismanagement.
At least fifty students marched two miles to the Alpine School District building to hand-deliver a petition to the superintendent asking that McGeary be reinstated.
"Hopefully they'll have open hearts and give us our coach back," said Kaden Humphrey, a sophomore football player.
Kaden says he started to petition last Tuesday, the day after McGeary announced his resignation.
"He made us aware of it last Monday at our early morning weights class and told us that it was his personal decision to resign," Kaden said.
The allegations against McGeary were made in a 42-page complaint filed by a parents' group claiming he took a deal with the company Under Armour without having the authority to do so, and that he charged extra for a football camp at the College of Eastern Utah and pocketed the extra money.
Despite those claims, players still support him.
"He did so much more than coaching. He taught us how to be men, be respectful and be the best men we can be," Kaden said.
Kaden says that within 20 minutes of bringing the petition to school, there were around 100 signatures. The students say they hope their voices will be heard and make a difference.
But Rhonda Bromley, the Alpine School District spokesperson, says it was McGeary's decision to resign.
"At this point where the district stands is the coach did resign his position and that hasn`t changed. So at this point we respect that decision that he made," Bromley said.
Bromley says that they respect the fact that the students want their voices to be heard and appreciate the way they're doing it, but they also respect McGeary's decision to resign.
