Waterford Mott coach Chris Fahr
Nick Linseman is no longer the Waterford Mott freshman football coach — out weeks after the Free Press reported the Michigan High School Athletic Association was investigating the football program under varsity head coach Chris Fahr.
“In all honesty,” Linseman said Monday, “I don’t see how I’m not (a sacrificial lamb).”
The Waterford School District fired Linseman from its coaching staff. He is not a teacher in the school district.
“Not sure if fired is the right word,” Linseman said, “but asked to leave.”
The Free Press reported May 29 that the MHSAA and Waterford School District were investigating the football program for multiple allegations of MHSAA rule violations relating to out-of-season workouts and undue influence for athletic purposes.
Waterford Mott may have broken MHSAA rules for off-season workouts
Linseman was front and center in the undue influence allegations, as was Fahr, who is entering his fifth season as Mott varsity coach.
“I’m not sure exactly what is happening with him,” said Linseman, who has coached freshman football for six years.
Waterford superintendent Keith Wunderlich, district athletic director Allison Sartorius and Fahr did not return calls for comment. But district spokesperson Rhonda Lessel said of Linseman: “As a result of our ongoing football investigation, the district did terminate that coach’s employment.”
Lessel said the district made a recommendation on Fahr more than a week ago.
“We have been in conversation with the MHSAA, and we are waiting to hear back from them in terms of what their recommendation is,” Lessel said. “That has not been finalized.”
Given the severity of the alleged violations and Fahr’s involvement, many coaches and administrators around the state expect the MHSAA to ban Fahr from coaching for four years, the maximum under MHSAA rules.
Linseman said he has no idea why he is being singled out. He said it was not like he was the lone mastermind behind the apparent violations and did them without Fahr’s knowledge or blessing.
“Everything I was doing, he knew what I was doing,” Linseman said. “I’ve never done anything on my own that hasn’t been known. Everything I’ve done, there’s been no secrets about it.”
Linseman admitted it was his idea to make the flyer that was handed out to middle school students when the district’s two middle schools played at Mott last fall. Pierce and Mason middle schools both feed Mott and Waterford Kettering high schools. Linseman did not restrict the fliers only to players headed to Mott. The MHSAA’s undue influence rule would prohibit fliers from being distributed to students headed to Kettering.
Linseman said he cleared the idea with Fahr.
“I presented him with the idea,” he said. “I was like: ‘Hey, we got the game, we’re hosting the game, let me get the info out.’”
Linseman also sent Facebook messages to two players who are now freshmen at Auburn Hills Avondale, and Fahr had messages to one.
“It was one of those things, I knew about those kids from kids in our program,” Linseman said. “It was presented, and it was a: ‘Let’s try and get them.’ It wasn’t necessarily Chris 100%. I’d say it’s 50-50 us on that.”
Linseman said that as the investigation has progressed, he had the feeling he was being set up to take the fall for Fahr.
“I haven’t talked with any coaches on the staff since all of this has happened,” he said. “So I’m not sure if there’s a gag order against me or what’s going on.”
He said his interaction with Fahr has been limited: “He recommended that I resign.”
Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.