Tennessee high school students stage walkout to protest firing of football coach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — More than 100 East Nashville Magnet High School students walked out of class Friday to protest the firing of football coach Brian Waite. 

Waite was fired as coach Wednesday by East Nashville principal Jamie Jenkins. Waite said he was told by Jenkins that he "would like to go in a different direction with the program."

Waite said he plans to remain at the school as a teacher. He took East Nashville to the playoffs seven times in his eight seasons.

"Coach Waite is the reason that East Nashville exists," said senior Avante Kenner, a football player for the Eagles. "He built the whole legacy for this whole entire football program. Nobody knew who East Nashville was. No one knew exactly where it was located.

"He's sent 30-plus kids, signing off to D-I colleges, D-II colleges and even (junior colleges). That says something a lot. The fact you have to take that from a man, that's not it."

The school was fined $3,000 after the TSSAA discovered after the season that six non-faculty East Nashville football coaches had not been submitted to the high school association to be registered. 

When asked whether the fine was related to Waite's firing, Jenkins wrote in an email Thursday to The Tennessean: "Several factors were considered in coming to this decision, but ultimately, we believed it was time to move our program in a new direction. We wish Coach Waite the very best in future coaching endeavors."

East Nashville went 9-3 in 2019 and 51-40 overall under Waite. He spent two seasons at the school under former coach Jim Wilson before being promoted.

The past two years East Nashville has gone 19-5, and the Eagles made the second round of the Class 3A playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

Students chanted, "We want Waite," in front of the school. Some held up signs in support. The students eventually walked around to the football stadium.

"We believe in our students' opportunity to voice their support for Coach Waite, and they did it in a very productive and positive manner," Jenkins said in a statement. "No student will be punished for this demonstration, as we believe it was with great intention and gave them an opportunity to express their support and emotions."

Waite stood at the steps of the school and took video of the student protest. He waved at students, hugging a few that came up to talk to him.

Waite said Thursday he felt blindsided by the decision.

"(Jenkins) told me he's been thinking about it for awhile, and then told me they were going to go in another direction," Waite said. "He asked me if I had any questions; I said no and we shook hands."

Waite coached LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips, a Mr. Football winner, during his tenure. He had nine players sign college scholarships this past season.

The non-faculty coaches hadn't taken the two online courses through the National Federation of State High School Associations needed to be registered — the fundamentals of coaching and a sports first-aid course. 

TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said Friday that the coaches also hadn't been submitted to the association as coaches.

"You are putting your student athletes in harm because if they haven't been submitted and they get hurt under their supervision those kids have no catastrophic insurance," Childress said. "And if the coaches get hurt, they have no coverage."