Former Farragut football coach Geoff Courtney responds to hazing investigation

Former Farragut football coach Geoff Courtney reportedly knew about a hazing incident prior to his resignation, which took place a day after a student's mother reported the matter to school officials. The alleged incident occurred at the conclusion of a football game on the Friday preceding the game on Oct. 30. According to Courtney, the report was shared with several school officials, including the Knox County Sheriff's Office, who subsequently initiated their investigation on Monday following the report.

All students charged were members of the football team, consisting of freshmen and one senior, and were subsequently charged with misdemeanor assault, alongside two others who faced misdemeanor harassment charges. Courtney claimed he was unaware of the investigation's specifics and maintained that it did not impact his decision to resign from the program.

He attributed his resignation to performance-based reasons, stating that the timing of the incident was unfortunate but that his decision to step down was personal and unrelated to the hazing allegations.