High School

Undefeated Mission Hills Expected to Face Romona on Friday Night Without Head Coach Hauser

Hauser and two assistant coaches have been place on paid leave pending the outcome of an unknown investigation
Gary Adornato|
Mission Hills will travel to Romona on Friday night and place its undefeated record on the line with head coach Chris Hauser, and two assistants, all who are on paid leave from the program.
Mission Hills will travel to Romona on Friday night and place its undefeated record on the line with head coach Chris Hauser, and two assistants, all who are on paid leave from the program. | Rudy Schmoke

Mission Hills High School head football coach Chris Hauser and assistants Thomas Altieri and Edward Nuckols have been placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation is underway, according to an email sent to team families, earlier this week. The San Marcos Sheriff’s Station confirmed it is investigating an incident at Mission Hills but, because the matter involves juveniles, no additional details were released.

San Diego Football obtained copy of the email, from Mission Hills Principal Nathan Baker, and published it in a Tweet, on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies have opened the season 4–0 under the current staff and are currently ranked No. 19 in the High School On SI California High School Football Top 25 State Rankings. The district email named DJ Zapata as interim head coach.

What we know

  • Status: Head coach Chris Hauser and assistants Thomas Altieri and Edward Nuckols are on paid leave during an ongoing investigation.
  • Law enforcement: The San Marcos Sheriff’s Station says the case is active and involves juveniles; no further information at this time.
  • Team impact: Mission Hills is 4–0; DJ Zapata will lead the program in the interim.

Hauser was honored after last week's win

Following his team's 32-21 win over Granite Hills, last week, Hauser was nominated for the Los Angeles Chargers High School Coach of the Week honor. He has led the program since its inception in 2004 and led the team to its first Open Division title in 2013.

What’s next

Mission Hills and local authorities have not released specifics while the investigation continues. High School On SI will update this story as official information becomes available.

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Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato is the Senior VP of Content for High School On SI and SBLive Sports. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University. In 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

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