State suspends teaching license of former Ringling football coach facing criminal charge

RINGLING, Okla. (KXII) - The Oklahoma State Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to suspend the teaching license of hall of fame coach Phil Koons a year and a half after several Ringling football players said he bullied and harasses them.

Koons’ certifications to teach history, government and physical education, as well as his credentials to serve as a high school principal are all suspended, The Oklahoman reported.

Koons was charged in October with a misdemeanor count of outraging public decency, which prosecutors said stemmed from allegations that he repeatedly shouted profanities at players.

A judge allowed him to withdraw his no contest please in March.

Although Koons is still listed on Ringling’s high school principal on its website, his lawyers have said he stepped away from the school after the criminal charge against him was filed.

Koons, whose teams have won multiple state championships, was a fixture in Oklahoma high school football. But he was also the subject of repeated complaints lodged by players or their parents, including at least two cases reported on by media outlets before he was hired at Ringling in 2018.