Former BCHS 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 press release issued by the city on Thursday evening, on Jan. 27, an arrest warrant was approved by the Clark County District Attorney’s office, and on Jan. 28, Mariani, 46, was taken into custody by Boulder City Police without incident.

Mariani was transported and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on three felony counts of Lewdness Committed by Person over 18 with Child 14 or 15 years of age, and seven felony counts of Child Abuse or Neglect, first degree.

The 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 be coaching the team in the postseason but did not give a reason as to why. In the playoffs he was replaced by Chris Renner, who earlier this month was named the new head coach.

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

Several parents, players and school staff contactedthe Review with similar stories regarding Mariani’s lewd 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 wished to remain anonymous told the Review, “It is just an atmosphere of anything goes with the coaches,” one teacher said. “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.”