A district investigation into an alleged incident at a football practice last week has led to the resignation of a Kingfisher High School football coach one day before the team’s season opener.

Superintendent Jason Sternberger confirmed Thursday afternoon that Micah Nall had resigned all coaching duties effective immediately.

Nall was the varsity team’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the past seven seasons. He was also a track and field coach.

Sternberger said Nall was still a part of the teaching staff at the high school. Nall teaches health and special education English classes.

The district began an investigation Tuesday after officials were alerted to an alleged incident that took place at Monday afternoon’s practice.

Although Sternberger said he cannot comment on the specifics of the investigation or personnel matters, multiple sources have confirmed with The Times & Free Press that allegations of “hazing” by a coach stemmed from a football drill commonly referred to as “bull in the ring.”

The drill is designed to accustom players to the full-contact nature of football and consists of one player standing in the middle of a ring formed by several other players, who take turns hitting or making contact with the “bull,” or player in the middle.

Witnesses alleged that only one player was put in the middle for the entirety of the drill and the player took an excessive number of hits over an extended period of time.

“Safety of our students is our first concern,” Sternberger said. “So when this was brought to us, we immediately began an investigation.”

KPS administration conducted multiple interviews prior to its announcement of Nall’s resignation from coaching duties, Sternberger said.

However, a separate investigation by the Kingfisher Police Department is ongoing, Police Chief David Catron confirmed.

“It is an open investigation right now,” Catron said Friday morning. “One of our officers is interviewing several of the players.”

A woman who identified herself as the mother of another player reported the alleged incident to an Oklahoma City TV station and was quoted in the news story broadcast last Tuesday as saying the player in the center of the ring had to be helped off the field after the drill.

However, the father of the player who was on the receiving end of the hits told The Times & Free Press that his son finished that day’s practice and has been at every practice since.

The father also told The Times & Free Press he took his son to a doctor for an evaluation Tuesday, which revealed no injuries as a result of the drill.

The Times and Free Press reached out to Nall for comment via text but he declined comment.

From a football standpoint, Nall has been the play caller in each of the previous seven seasons.

Head coach Jeff Myers said assistants Stuart Purintun, a former KHS offensive coordinator, and Derek Patterson will now share those duties.

The Yellowjackets opened their season Friday night at Alva (after this edition went to press).