MERIDIAN, ID — During a January 20th high school wrestling match, a coach stepped in and separated a match due to what he thought was a dangerous and illegal move, striking the opponent in the process.
- Rocky Mountain High School Asst. Coach Russell Brunson jumped on the mat to separate a match, striking the opposing wrestler.
- Brunson was immediately removed from the match.
- Brunson since has resigned from his position at Rocky Mountain High School.
- Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) has banned Brunson from coaching in the state of Idaho for life and given him a two-year suspension from attending high school sporting events.
We reached out to Russell Brunson for comment. His statement follows:
“There is no excuse for my actions on January 20th. I should not have stepped onto the mat and tried to break up the wrestling match. I saw my child in a potentially dangerous position and reacted rashly. I have reached out to the family directly and sincerely apologize for my inappropriate reaction.” -Russell Brunson
We reached out to the father of the wrestling opponent. His statement follows:
"The events that transpired on the morning of the 20th at the Skyview wrestling duals were very unfortunate, to say the least. We allow our children to participate in sports to help build character and learn the value of hard work, the joy of victory and accomplishments, as well as the pain of loss and disappointment. Sports are supposed to be a safe place to experience those things. I understand that athletic events can cause emotions within our athletes and within us as parents as well. Wrestling can be an uncomfortable sport for both the athlete and the parents. On this particular morning, a coach/father saw their kid and athlete in a completely legal, non-threatening, but uncomfortable move, saw the uncomfort in his child, and reacted in an unacceptable way and a 14-year-old was hit by an adult. A major line was crossed, and consequences have to follow those actions. That being said, we hope that everyone can be a little kinder, more patient, slower to anger and judgment, and give each other a little bit of grace as everyone makes mistakes." - Chase Froerer
West Ada School District is also commenting on the incident, calling the scenario an illegal move. Their full statement follows:
"Coach Brunson acknowledges that his actions were not appropriate, and he deeply regrets the sequence of events that transpired. He recognizes that what occurred was not premeditated but rather a spontaneous reaction in the heat of the moment. As a coach and a parent, Coach Brunson was emotionally invested in the match, particularly because the young wrestler involved was his son."
During the match, Coach Brunson observed an illegal chokehold being applied to his son by the opposing wrestler. Concerned for his son's well-being, he reacted instinctively by shouting to alert the referee and attempting to demonstrate the situation. However, in the final moments, fear and adrenaline took over, leading Coach Brunson to make a decision that he now acknowledges was wrong.
Coach Brunson has expressed a sincere understanding that his actions were not acceptable. He emphasizes that what transpired was not premeditated but rather an unplanned response to a critical situation involving his son. "I know what I did was not ok. It was not something that was premeditated, it’s something that just happened. If I could go back and replay those 2 seconds of my life, I would, but unfortunately, it’s too late." Since the match, Coach Brunson has voluntarily resigned from his position as coach, further acknowledging the impact of his actions. Coach Brunson has served as an unpaid volunteer in an assistant wrestling coach position at Rocky Mountain High School for the past 4 years.
As a school district, we take these matters seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. The safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities, and we remain dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fair play, sportsmanship, and positive behavior.
Mr. Brunson shared, "There is no excuse for my actions on January 20th. I should not have stepped onto the mat and tried to break up the wrestling match. I saw my child in a potentially dangerous position and reacted rashly. I have reached out to the Family directly and sincerely apologize for my inappropriate reaction." - West Ada School District
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Sports often bring out a lot of emotions from both participants and spectators. And, recently those emotions led to a high school student-wrestler being struck by an adult coach. I'm your North Meridian neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston, and I reached out to one local wrestling coach for a breakdown of a video that's since gone viral.
On Saturday, January 20th, Skyview High School in Nampa hosted multiple schools for a wrestling match. During a match, Nash Froerer of Nyssa High School allegedly made an illegal move on Rocky Mountain's Bowen Brunson. That led to Rocky Mountain assistant coach and father of Bowen, Russell Brunson jumping onto the mat to try and separate the athletes. In the process, he struck Froerer which led to his removal from the match.
When I reached out to Brunson to get his side he said his emotions as a father got the best of him saying;
“There is no excuse for my actions on January 20th. I should not have stepped onto the mat and tried to break up the wrestling match. I saw my child in a potentially dangerous position and reacted rashly.”
Brunson also said he has tried to make amends by reaching out to Froerer's family to apologize.
I spoke with the father of Froerer, who sent me a statement calling the incident "unfortunate to say the least," calling the encounter a "completely legal, non-threatening but uncomfortable move" and ultimately "a 14-year-old was hit by an adult. A major line was crossed."
So what about the move that led to his whole incident in the first place? Well, wanting some clarification, I met up with Kevin Neumann of Meridian grappling about whether or not this was in fact a legal move.
Neumann explained, "What I see is the Nyssa wrestler in a dominant position trying to get in a spot to turn the Rocky Mountain wrestler to his back. What happens is the Nyssa wrestler reaches across the neck, and it is all legal until he grabs the shoulder."
Neumann explains that even though this move was illegal, it does not validate Brunson's actions.
"The parent crosses the line by jumping on the mat and touching the other wrestler. That is out of line. If anything, the parent should have alerted the referee. The referee is ultimately responsible for the safety of the participants," said Neumann.
Since the incident, Brunson has resigned from his assistant coach position with Rocky Mountain High School.
I reached out to the Idaho High School Activities Association about the issue and they told me Brunson has been banned for life from coaching in the state of Idaho. He's also banned for two years from attending high school sports as a spectator including watching his son wrestle.
