Former Kingfisher head football coach to face prosecution after all in child neglect case

KINGFISHER — The former head football coach at Kingfisher High School will face trial after all on a child neglect charge.

Jeff Myers, 57, was charged in October in Kingfisher County District Court after a lengthy investigation that began when a former player filed a hazing lawsuit . He denies wrongdoing.

District Judge Tom Newby on Friday let the felony case go forward, reversing a preliminary hearing finding of insufficient evidence. Myers will be officially ordered to trial when he appears before the preliminary hearing judge again Aug. 6.

Myers is accused in the felony charge of condoning, permitting or deliberately ignoring for years boxing and wrestling matches that took place in the locker room. The matches were known as "The Ring" and were used by players to settle differences they had out on the field, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reported in a court affidavit.

At the preliminary hearing in June, Blaine County Associate District Judge Allison Lafferty found the evidence insufficient. The judge made the finding after hearing testimony from three former football players and a former Kingfisher Public Schools superintendent.

"I don't think the state met their burden as to willful and malicious acts, and based upon that, I'm not going to find that there is probable cause to believe that he committed the crime, that a crime was committed and that he is the one that committed it," Lafferty explained.

Prosecutor Jimmy Bunn Jr. appealed the ruling. He argued the testimony showed Myers had known about the fights since 2017 but did nothing to stop or supervise them.

Defense attorney Joe White said the judge on Friday didn't explain his ruling.

"All I know is we're going back to court, get the thing set for a formal arraignment and get the matter set for a trial and let the folks in Kingfisher decide it," he said.

What happened to the Kingfisher football lawsuit?

A former player, Mason Mecklenburg, sued Kingfisher Public Schools, Myers and other coaches in 2021 after graduating. Some witnesses said he was singled out for bullying and hazing because he was the "rich kid."

The case was settled for $5 million in Oklahoma City federal court a month after Myers was charged.

White called the lawsuit a bunch of hogwash.

"I don't know why they ever paid out $5 million to that kid ... other than he had some good lawyers," the defense attorney said.

Mecklenburg is a key witness in the criminal case. He testified at the preliminary hearing that Myers and other coaches observed the fights during the 2017 football season.

Myers already is in the hall of fame at the Oklahoma Coaches Association. He guided the Yellowjackets to a Class 3A state championship in 2013 .

He was put on administrative leave and did not coach any further after being charged. Under the settlement, he will not coach for Kingfisher High School again.

In June, his teaching license was suspended by the State Board of Education.

Also charged in October over the fights in "The Ring" was Micah Nall, a former assistant coach.

Nall, 48, of Piedmont, faces a felony count of child abuse and a felony count of perjury.

He is accused in the child abuse count of involvement in "The Ring," including wresting a student himself. Nall admitted in testimony for the federal lawsuit that he had participated in "The Ring," according to a court affidavit. He said it was a "very, very poor decision.

Nall in June waived his preliminary hearing.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Former Kingfisher head football coach to face prosecution after all in child neglect case