Boulder City High School ex-football coach arrested

Former Boulder City High School head football coach Frank “Bubba” Mariani was arrested by Boulder City police on an array of felony counts alleging lewd behavior.

According to a news release issued by the city on Jan. 29, an arrest warrant was approved by the Clark County district attorney’s office on Jan. 27, and Mariani, 46, was taken into custody by Boulder City police without incident on Jan. 28.

Mariani was transported and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on three felony counts of lewdness committed by a person over 18 with child 14 or 15 years of age, and seven felony counts of child abuse or neglect, first degree.

A request for BCPD’s report of Mariani’s case and arrest was made Jan. 29, but an email from the records department stated that the report will be available no later than Feb. 12.

According to court records, Mariani is expected to appear for his felony arraignment before Judge Christopher Tilman in Boulder City Justice Court on March 10 at 1 p.m.

The city release states that in early November, the Boulder City Police Department started investigating allegations made by several minors that one of the Boulder City High School football coaches had committed lewd acts upon several minor children.

After an extensive three-month investigation, the case was submitted to the Clark County district attorney’s office for approval of an arrest warrant for Mariani on Dec. 31.

During the past three seasons under Mariani, the Eagles compiled a record of 15-16, with a league mark of 7-11. They went 7-3 with a playoff win his first year. Near the end of this past season, BCHS Principal Amy Wagner sent an email to staff and teachers announcing that Mariani would not coach the team in the postseason but did not give a reason as to why. In the playoffs, he was replaced by Chris Renner, who in January was named the new head coach.

In a text to Wagner on Jan. 29, she directed the Review to contact the Clark County School District’s communications department for comment.

CCSD responded with the following email to parents from Wagner:

“The safety of our students is the number one priority at Boulder City High School. As always, we want to keep you informed of important matters happening within our school community. An employee assigned to our school was arrested on charges of child abuse and lewdness. The employee will not be allowed on campus. The Boulder City Police Department is the lead investigative agency. We wish to assure you that we will cooperate fully with law enforcement in their investigation. Please know that this is a police investigation and, as school officials, we do not have additional information to share. However, if you have questions about your child, please contact the school at (702) 799-8200.”

Several parents, players and school staff contacted the Review last year with similar allegations regarding Mariani’s behavior. Of those, just one player and his mother went on the record. That player, junior Joelton Swopes, told the Review, “He [Mariani] said a lot of inappropriate stuff. He said to — this was also in the weight room — he said to my friend … that, like, if he were to watch gay porn, that he would hope that [the friend] was in it.”

One teacher who was granted anonymity to protect the source from employer retaliation told the Review, “It is just an atmosphere of anything goes with the coaches. It started, I don’t wanna say small, but it started different, where it was just a lot of cursing. There is a tremendous amount of derogatory comments that they make toward students, belittling them, and it’s a problem.”