Akron Public Schools has placed Buchtel athletic director and football head coach Bryan Williams on administrative leave.
Williams did not coach in last week's game when host Buchtel earned a 14-6 win in overtime against Garfield at Tim Flossie Stadium, and he is not set to be on the sidelines at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 when Buchtel meets East in a Week 10 game at Kenmore Stadium.
"Akron Public Schools can confirm that the athletic director and head football coach at Buchtel High School has been placed on administrative leave," APS assistant director of marketing and communications Joanne Isaac said in an email to the Akron Beacon Journal.
"As this is a personnel matter, the District will not comment further on the circumstances or details. To ensure continuity for our student-athletes and football program, Tahj Dent has served as interim head coach and will continue to serve in that role pending further notice," Isaac said. "The District remains focused on supporting our students and maintaining normal team operations."
Buchtel enters Week 10 with a 2-7 overall record and a 2-2 mark in the Akron City Series after it had to forfeit four wins last week before playing Garfield.
APS self-reported to the OHSAA that North and Buchtel had academically ineligible players competing in games earlier this season.
North's win over Cleveland East Technical became a forfeit loss.
Buchtel's wins over Mentor Lake Catholic, Cleveland Heights Lutheran East and Firestone became a forfeit loss, and the win over North became a double forfeit as both teams played ineligible players.
Williams did not return messages from the Akron Beacon Journal seeking comment.
Bryan Williams led Buchtel to OHSAA football playoff appearances as players, coach
Williams is in his sixth year as Buchtel's coach and has a 26-37 record. Williams guided Buchtel to records of 4-6 in 2021, 7-5 in 2022, 6-6 in 2023, 4-7 in 2024 and 4-6 in 2025.
Buchtel won an Akron City Series outright championship with Williams as coach in 2022 and shared a league title with East in 2023. He guided the Griffins to the OHSAA playoffs in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The 2022 Buchtel team was a Division IV, Region 13 semifinalist after it defeated Woodridge and Northwest, and then lost to Beloit West Branch in the playoffs. The Griffins beat Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in the 2023 playoffs and then lost to Canton South in a Division IV, Region 13 quarterfinal.
Williams graduated from Buchtel in 2005, Valley Forge Military Academy in 2007 and the University of Akron in 2009. He earned an associate's degree at Valley Forge and a bachelor's degree in mass media communications at UA. He played running back and defensive back for the Griffins, Cadets and Zips. He earned All-Ohio first-team honors while at Buchtel, and was an All-Mid-American Conference selection for the Zips.
Williams recevied four letters in football at Buchtel, helping the Griffins win Akron City Series titles with an undefeated league record in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and compete in the OHSAA playoffs in 2001 in Division II and in 2002 and 2004 in Division III. Buchtel went 34-11 overall and 26-1 in the City Series during his time as a player.
Williams signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns for a few months in 2009. Between 2010 and 2013, he played for the Marion Mayhem, Fort Wayne FireHawks and Marion Blue Racers in the Continental Indoor Football League, the Pittsburgh Power in the Arena Football League and the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.
Williams got into coaching as an assistant for the Marion indoor football team and for one season at Buchtel under former coach Ricky Powers. He spent five years as the strength and conditioning coordinator at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School before being hired as Buchtel's football coach. He worked alongside then STVM Athletic Director Willie McGee, and was the running backs coach for three seasons on former STVM coach Robert Nickol's staff.
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Buchtel athletic director/football coach placed on administrative leave