The head coach of the Campbell County High School football program has been terminated for a profanity-laced outburst aimed at a player after a 17-14 Halloween playoff win over crosstown rival Thunder Basin.
Orah Garst confirmed to Cowboy State Daily on Friday that he’s been let go as the Camels head football coach, and admitted his tirade at the player was out of line.
“I yelled at a player and used profanity, and you can’t do that,” he said. “I deserve the consequences. I’m going to take the high road.”
Calls to Campbell County High School Activities Director Dave Plendl and Principal Chad Bourgeois weren’t returned by publication time.
However, Garst’s firing is outlined in a Campbell County School District Human Resources report prepared for the board of trustees’ upcoming Nov. 11 meeting. It lists Garst’s date of termination as Thursday, Nov. 6.
That’s one day ahead of his team’s Friday night Wyoming Class 4A semifinal football game at Cheyenne East High School.
“Born and raised” in Gillette, Garst said he doesn’t want to get into a back-and-forth debate about what he did, but said he was wrong and that it wasn’t a reflection of how he usually interacts with players.
“The haters say that’s who I am, but those who know me know it was a temporary lapse in judgment,” he said. “That’s the first time (something like that) has happened in 17 years in coaching, and the kid was recording it.”
What He Said
In a 25-second video clip of the incident obtained by Cowboy State Daily, parts of Garst’s outburst toward the player can be clearly heard, while some parts are unintelligible.
“… you can f***ing quit,” Garst can be heard yelling. “We don’t f***ing need you. Do you understand?”
The audio then isn’t quite clear, but it references something that happened “outside in front of my family.”
The coach also tells the player regarding whatever happened to set off the outburst, “… I don’t want to deal with that f***ing shit ever again.”
Other players can be seen sitting in the room with at least one other person also recording the incident on a smartphone.
Note: Video contains strong language.
Hometown Coach
Garst played for the Camels and graduated from Campbell County in 2006 before returning to coach his high school team.
He said he’s disappointed in himself and that he won’t be on the sidelines as the 9-1 Camels play East for a chance to advance to the state championship game.
“I’m not going to do anything other than cheer them on from afar,” he said. “I’m super proud of them. They’re incredible kids having a great season.”
He said he doesn’t want to be a distraction.
“I will let (the haters) smear my name, I’ll take the high road,” Garst said.
Garst’s abrupt end to his three-year coaching career at Campbell County High comes at a time when the program has made a dramatic turnaround with him behind the whistle.
Along with a 9-1 record going into Friday’s game, the Camels finished 9-2 last year and 6-4 in 2023, his first season as coach, for an overall record of 24-7.
In the six years before — and since the opening of Thunder Basin and splitting Gillette’s high schools — the Camels had a dismal 11-46 record, including back-to-back 0-9 season in 2017 and 2018.
That Garst lost control and yelled profanities is out of character, said C.J. Marker, who told Cowboy State Daily that he played for Garst for a short time when he was at CCHS three years ago.
He said he was “quite a bit surprised, actually” about learning of Garst’s termination.
“I never saw him blow up like that and never thought he would,” he said. “I guess he got to his breaking point.”
Marker said he’s not really a fan of the former coach, but that “he’s not the type of person you would’ve thought to do that. I don’t agree with some of his ways of coaching, but that’s just a personal observation.”
Garst said he doesn’t plan to fight the termination and that his next move is to “dust (himself) off and see if anyone wants a football coach.”
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
