Ex-Southlake Carroll football coach 'blindsided' by allegations that forced resignation

Former Southlake Carroll football coach Hal Wasson said he felt blindsided by the allegations that led to his eventual resignation from the powerhouse program.

Wasson left after a Carroll ISD report listed several UIL violations by his program. Wasson said he had been running the camps in the same way for years and had not intentionally broken any rules.

The controversy seemingly boils down to a battle between Wasson and Southlake Carroll Athletic Director Darren Allman.

A representative for Wasson said that Allman gave prior approval to the very camps that Wasson was later reprimanded for hosting. Wasson said if administrators had issues with the camps, he wishes they had come to him first.

“I felt for a couple of years there was a crack,” Wasson said of his relationship with Carroll ISD higher-ups. “The crack became bigger.”

Allman declined to be interviewed on Thursday.

Wasson is open to coaching again, but said he has to reboot first. He’s 61 and has coached for 37 years.

The district put Wasson on administrative leave Jan. 24 pending an investigation. Wasson reached a contract settlement nearly a week ago where he agreed to resign, but be paid $165,000 -- the remaining 16 months of his deal.

Wasson has moved out of his Southlake Carroll football office, with some mementos being stored at his home for the time being. His run as Southlake Carroll head coach ended after 11 largely successful seasons and one state title.

Former Southlake coach Todd Dodge, currently at Austin Westlake, is the most heavily rumored candidate to replace Wasson. Dodge has told Austin-area media he has not applied for the Southlake job.