Wyoming high school football coach fired ahead of state semifinal matchup

Campbell County, one of the top high school football programs in Wyoming, is without its head coach going into its biggest game of the season.

Orah Garst, who played for the Camels and graduated from Campbell County in 2006, has led the program to a 24-7 record during his time and has the Gillette-based school in the state semifinals. But he was fired on Thursday after an expletive-filled tirade against one of his players during a game on October 31.

He confirmed to CowboyStateDaily.com on Friday that he had been terminated, and admitted his tirade at the player was out of line.

“I yelled at a player and used profanity, and you can’t do that,” he said. “I deserve the consequences. I’m going to take the high road.”

A Campbell County School District Human Resources report prepared ahead of the the board of trustees’ upcoming Nov. 11 meeting lists Garst’s date of termination as Thursday, November 6. The outburst against the player was recorded and submitted to the school, which ultimately chose to end his tenure at the school.

The decision comes just a day before Campbell County was set to face off against Cheyenne East in the Class 4A state semifinals. It’s the school’s first ever Final Four appearance. In the six years before Grast’s hiring, the Camels had a dismal 11-46 record, including back-to-back 0-9 season in 2017 and 2018.

Garst told CowboyStateDaily that he won’t fight his termination and is instead taking the high road.

“The haters say that’s who I am, but those who know me know it was a temporary lapse in judgment,” he said. “That’s the first time (something like that) has happened in 17 years in coaching, and the kid was recording it.”

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