Amid a high-profile search for a new football coach, the Valor Christian community wanted answers.

On Feb. 10, a group of parents, coaches and students gathered at the private school in Highlands Ranch to meet with head of school Bryan Ritz. The concerns centered around the resignation of football coach Bret McGatlin a month earlier and how his departure correlated to larger issues within the Eagles athletic department.

Criticism voiced at that meeting alleged a toxic environment within the department. That environment, critics said, had caused discontent, high coaching turnover and a perceived over-emphasis on winning championships over program stability.

Past and present coaches, as well as parents, held Valor Christian’s leadership responsible for the turmoil, which reached a tipping point with McGatlin’s resignation in January shortly after he was put on a performance improvement plan.

Both Ritz and athletic director Keith Wahl declined an interview request for this story, but Ritz addressed concerns voiced in the community meeting held Feb. 10 — audio of which was obtained by The Denver Post.

Valor Christian is one of the top athletic departments in Colorado, with 57 state championships since the school opened in 2007 — eight of which belong to the football program. The department is built on the notion of experiencing sports as an act of worship, led by “transformational” coaches who reject the idea of winning at all costs and “choose a countercultural approach to athletics,” according to the school’s website. But the foundation of those values had been shaken, critics at the meeting said.To understand the tumult around the school’s athletic department, The Post interviewed more than a dozen coaches and parents who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution from the school.

At the core of their concerns was a belief that Valor Christian athletics had lost its way.

“It’s devastating that this culture in the athletic department is pulling people apart, and misleading and misrepresenting people,” assistant football coach Matt Fox, who declined an interview request from The Post, said at the meeting. “And quite frankly, the behaviors are serial, the behaviors are intentional and premeditated, and it’s not a coincidence.

“And for me, it’s disappointing, because this isn’t about Coach McGatlin entirely. That man lived up to every ethos that this school put in front of him.”

McGatlin’s resignation

When Valor Christian announced McGatlin’s resignation Jan. 16, Wahl told the community that McGatlin was leaving the Eagles after three seasons to “pursue new opportunities in his career.”

But his departure wasn’t quite that simple.

According to the concerns voiced at the community meeting — where numerous assistant football coaches, parents and football players spoke, and a statement from McGatlin was read — McGatlin’s exit was directly tied to issues with the school’s athletic department.

McGatlin declined an interview request from The Post, but in a statement Fox read at the meeting, McGatlin pointed to what he believes is a gladiator culture in high school sports. And that culture, he says, is negatively influencing Valor Christian athletics.

“The real problem lies within the system itself, and it can be traced back to a common denominator: the current leadership within the athletic department,” McGatlin’s statement read. “During my 32 months at Valor, my office became a refuge for coaches seeking support, sharing frustrations about the athletic department. … Their concerns were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of dissatisfaction and distress.

“… The root cause: a leadership crisis. At the heart of the issue is a leadership style characterized by a culture of fear, comparison and uncertainty. Coaches have felt unsupported and undervalued, leading to an environment where fear and anxiety replace passion and purpose. I can say without hesitation that I would not have resigned if not for this leadership dynamic.”

Had McGatlin stayed at Valor Christian, he would’ve been coaching under a performance improvement plan in 2025. The improvement plan came after the Eagles went 11-2 in 2024 and lost to eventual Class 5A champion Cherry Creek in the state semifinals. Valor Christian went 6-5 the previous season and lost to Cherry Creek in the 5A title game in McGatlin’s first year in 2022.

Ritz told those gathered at the meeting that the community was divided in its support of McGatlin, and that he “got at least a dozen phone calls with specifics of what was going wrong” during the season and then again after it.

McGatlin’s PIP, presented by Wahl to the coach on Jan. 6, outlined several concerns.

According to a copy of the PIP obtained by The Post, a parent survey conducted by the athletic program garnered a 73% response rate — the highest participation in program history. Wahl wrote that the cumulative survey results over the past three years were “beyond the scope of an acceptable amount of noise.”

That included a 7% “net promoter score” for varsity in 2024 and a minus-20% score in ’23 — two of the lowest scores in program history. McGatlin’s average program-wide net promoter score over three seasons was 27%. The formula for net promoter scores is promoters (those who rated the program a nine or 10) minus detractors (ratings of one through six), divided by respondents.

Areas for improvement listed in the PIP included player experience and development, coaching and leadership, and program excellence and expectations. It called for program-wide net promoter scores in the range of 50% to 60% in 2025, restructuring the coaching staff, and the school hiring an executive coach for McGatlin.

The PIP stated that the program should win 10 varsity games each year, never lose by 20 or more points and consistently make a run at a state title. It stated that McGatlin would be subject to three performance reviews in ’25 and that his “ability to maintain employment at Valor in this role is contingent on satisfactory, consistent and sustained improvement in all areas identified” in the document.

In a written rebuttal, McGatlin’s lawyer blasted the overall nature of the PIP, calling it based on “arbitrary or capricious criteria,” and said it “raises significant concerns about its fairness, objectivity and alignment with Colorado employment laws.”

The PIP and its requirements were evidence that the school did not support the coach, those who spoke at the community meeting said. An email obtained by The Post also showed that Wahl posted an opening for an assistant coaching job without McGatlin’s knowledge on Jan. 7, two days before the coach submitted his resignation.

Amid the conversation about McGatlin, a consistent theme emerged from parents and coaches alike: McGatlin’s departure was part of a larger, corrosive culture that’s been cultivated within the athletic department and festered across a wide swath of sports.

Upheaval in other programs

As a result of the community meeting, Ritz set in motion a review of Valor Christian’s athletic department processes, he wrote in a Feb. 14 email. In another email in late April, Ritz wrote that he met with more than 40 past and present coaches, as well as parents, as part of the review.

The review was based in part on the high coaching turnover the school has seen recently, including the upheaval in specific programs that led to resignations similar to McGatlin’s.

Among other turnover, notable departures came in strength and conditioning (two coaches, Darren Krein and Adam Osborn, resigned in 2024 and ’25, respectively); girls lacrosse (coach Terry Ellis resigned in February); girls and boys soccer (founding teacher and longtime coach Brian Shultz left before the spring ’24 season); and boys basketball (Dennis Burrage left before the 2023-24 season).

Krein, who played and coached in the NFL, expressed disappointment at the community meeting about what he saw as a lack of support of coaches at Valor Christian.

“In the 20-plus years I’ve been a player and coach in the NFL — and it’s a rough situation there. … I’ve never been treated as bad in the NFL as I was treated here,” said Krein, who declined an interview request from The Post.

Ellis, who also declined an interview request, was placed on an improvement plan in 2024 despite leading the Eagles to two state championship games and two semifinals during his tenure.

According to emails obtained by The Post, Wahl presented Ellis with his improvement plan after the end of last season, which concluded with a Class 5A semifinal loss to perennial power Colorado Academy. The plan focused on three areas of improvement: culture, connection and communication.

The plan, a copy of which was obtained by The Post, said that one parent complained in the survey that “there just seemed to be tension or dissatisfaction.” The plan listed four families for Ellis to meet with, in addition to conducting player development meetings with every returning player.

All of this led Ellis, a former professional player who also coaches in the club sphere, to resign on Feb. 3, about a month before the first game. As with McGatlin, an email from Wahl to the community said Ellis resigned “to pursue other opportunities.”

The perceived discontent within the girls lacrosse program was not isolated within Valor Christian’s spring sports. A review of the summary of parent surveys from spring sports last year said net promoter scores “continued a negative slide” with parents in many sports frustrated with coaching as well as “an environment of Christ-centered character development.” The cumulative net promoter score for 2024 spring sports was 44%.

Those who voiced concerns at the community meeting, as well as those who spoke with The Post under condition of anonymity, said the culture within Valor Christian athletics started to change when Wahl took the helm as AD in 2023.

Pressure on Wahl

McGatlin’s characterization of a “leadership crisis” within the Valor Christian athletic department was a common theme among those who spoke with The Post.

Wahl was previously the school’s head baseball and softball coach and assistant athletic director. Repeated critiques of Wahl were that the athletic director’s leadership style was deceptive; the department had issues with communication and transparency; and an overall belief that, as one football parent put it, the department needs “revival.”

There was widespread criticism at the meeting about how much Wahl listened to parents, questions about whether parents who were larger donors had more influence, and how parent surveys were being used. According to several coaches, under Wahl’s tenure, coaches did not see individual parent surveys, only a summary of their overall results and the net promoter scores that were put together by Wahl.

“I think their surveys are part of the problem because I think the surveys are honestly being manipulated,” Krein said at the meeting.

Ritz said at the meeting that he believed some of the critique of McGatlin in the parent surveys was warranted, but acknowledged that Wahl also made mistakes in his handling of parent criticism of the coach. Ritz said Wahl was too negative in his meeting with McGatlin two days after the season ended.

“I told them both, ‘You guys need to get back in the same room, and you need to have another discussion, and Keith, you need to apologize,‘” Ritz said at the community meeting. “That’s what needed to happen. Two days after we lose a massive game is not the time to talk about anything other than, ‘Hey, good season, and we’ll come back (later) and talk about the good things and the bad things.’”

Winning over faith?

In the community meeting, Ritz also conceded another factor in the turbulence within Valor Christian athletics: out-of-control parents.

Ritz noted that “our reputation when we go to other stands is not good.”

“I do think we have a culture issue, but I think it’s broader than what we just talked about (between coaches and athletic leadership),” Ritz said at the meeting. “… It’s not just a culture issue with our coaches or with our leadership. It’s also with our families.

“… In terms of our vision and mission, it’s (about) partnering with parents. That also means our parents have to model Christ-like behavior. And some of the behavior I saw in the stands is not acceptable, full stop.”

The Post witnessed some of what Ritz alluded to at both of Valor Christian’s football losses in 2024.

In the Eagles’ 62-21 defeat at Mountain Vista on Oct. 4 — the Eagles’ worst loss in program history — some Valor Christian adults were visibly irate and yelling negative comments toward the field. In the 42-17 semifinal loss to Cherry Creek on Nov. 30 at Stutler Bowl, it was more of the same, with multiple parents screaming demeaning comments at the coaching staff on the Eagles’ sideline.

In response, Ritz tasked the athletic department with developing a document called “The Valor Way.” In a Feb. 14 email to the school community, Ritz said such a document “will outline our community’s commitment to exemplary behavior and excellence.”

“Every student-athlete and family will sign this

pledge, affirming their dedication to upholding Christ-like character both on and off the field,” Ritz wrote.

In an email in late April, Ritz asked that the school’s community “extend both understanding and grace” as he works with Wahl to re-focus the Eagles’ Christ-centered vision for both the athletic department and its parents.

“I am committed to providing more consistent support and development for our coaches, strengthening our athletic leadership team, establishing clear written guidelines, setting expectations for parent engagement, and cultivating a culture that honors God in all things,” Ritz wrote. “While I acknowledge we have missed the mark in some areas, our calling remains clear: We must keep God at the center of everything we do.”

Can Valor get back on track?

In his first full year as the head of school, Ritz’s learning curve has been steep.

In addition to the discord within the athletic department, Ritz acknowledged in an April 11 email to the community that he’s also dealt with two other serious issues involving staffers.

One of those cases was a result of a Safe2Tell report, which “identified behavioral concerns involving a staff member and a student.” The report did not concern a criminal act, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. But that staff member was put on administrative leave while Valor Christian conducted an internal review, which Ritz wrote revealed “a misalignment between this individual and our organizational standards, which ultimately led us to separate.”

“This review includes interviews with students, parents and staff, as well as a detailed examination of communications such as texts and emails,” Ritz told The Post in an email on May 7.

The other situation involved a coach. Michael Duran, an assistant wrestling coach, was arrested on Dec. 28 by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. According to the arrest affidavit, Duran was charged with two counts of unlawful sexual contact, Class 1 misdemeanors, stemming from massages he conducted at Olive Juice Beauty Bar in Highlands Ranch. Duran also had his massage license suspended by the state.

Ritz said the school “immediately placed (Duran) on administrative leave. The following day (he) resigned.”

While Ritz had his hands full, two notable 2025 resignations in the athletic department — McGatlin and Ellis — moved on. McGaltin is the head football coach at Denver Christian, while Ellis is an assistant girls lacrosse coach at Regis Jesuit. Valor Christian filled both vacancies, naming former CU coach Mike Sanford its football coach (the fifth in nine seasons) on Feb. 28 and Samantha Geiersbach its girls lacrosse coach three days before that.

The listed salary range for the full-time head football coach position was $90,000 to $110,000. And the coaching search that culminated in Sanford’s hire wasn’t without drama.

A group of parents and assistant coaches did not approve of the parent committee, picked by Wahl, set up to help with the hire. After those parents voiced their displeasure to Ritz at the community meeting, the committee’s engagement was paused. It has since been rekindled as the Football Ambassador Committee, which serves in an advisory capacity and is designed to offer insights and suggestions on best practices to strengthen the program.

Some also took issue with how Wahl framed religion into the coaching search, specifically how the AD wrote in several emails that “God has great plans for our football program.”

The community meeting revealed angst within some circles of Valor Christian parents and coaches. But several sources also expressed hope that Ritz was making a concerted effort to address the issues brought to the forefront and that his review could help change the culture of the athletic department.

As Ritz explained in the meeting, he is determined “to understand (the issues), and then see what we need to do to change.”

“(For) the future of our football program, and the future of all our athletics and academics, we’ve got to be decidedly Christian,” Ritz said at the meeting.

On May 1, Ritz wrote in an email to The Post that “we’ve seen more transition than is ideal in our athletic department and we are aware of opportunities for growth … (and) we are actively working to address them.”

In an email sent to the school’s community in late April addressing Ritz’s athletic department review, the head of school backed Wahl and his leadership team for “navigating this intersection of spiritual growth and sport well.” He also wrote that the coaches he met with “highlighted a desire for more consistent and relational leadership from the athletic director, including increased open dialogue, along with more administrative support.”

Ritz presented a multi-pronged approach to address the athletic department’s issues.

That includes enhanced support and professional development, increased transparency and constructive feedback for coaches, and “more consistent and healthy engagement” between coaches and parents. Ritz also announced the expansion of Tige Watson’s role. Watson, the director of student affairs, will now be the chief of parent and student affairs, who “will be empowered to help resolve conflicts more timely and bring about restoration and reconciliation when needed.”

McGatlin proposed a solution of his own for Valor Christian’s athletic department in his statement read at the meeting.

“Genuine, unwavering support for our coaches (will solve this),” McGatlin wrote. “This means leadership accountability. The athletic director, head of school and the board must recognize their role in shaping the culture and commit to positive servant leadership. … When coaches feel supported, valued and trusted, their joy will return and excellence will naturally follow, on and off the field.”