Arrested Iowa High School Football Coach Will Not Be With Team For Season Opener

An Iowa high school football coach who was arrested for operating while intoxicated just five days ago will not be with his team come this Friday night for the 2026 season opener.

Gabe Bakker, the head coach at Waukee High School, was found with a blood alcohol concentration nearly three times the legal limit in the state of Iowa on August 21. He was charged with OWI.

Waukee Head Football Coach Will Miss At Least 2026 Season Opener

According to a report by KCCI, Bakker will remain the head football coach for the Warriors, but will not be with the team when they face Johnston this week. Instead, assistant coach Matt Jeter will serve as the head coach for Waukee.

The Waukee Community School District did not offer any further comment concerning the length of time or number of games that Bakker will not be working as the head coach for the team.

Court documents revealed that Bakker took a breath test that showed his blood alcoholo concenrtation at 0.23. He admitted to drinking at a local bar in Grimes before returning to his home in Waukee where he was pulled over.

Gabe Bakker Was Charged With OWI, Had BAC Nearly Three Times The Legal Limit

Bakker was charged with operating while intoxicated and was released from jail hours later. He self-reported the incident to the school district.

In a previous report, the Waukee Community School District stated, “We expect all our staff members to serve as role models for students and live our core values, and we take this incident seriously. The District is addressing the situation in accordance with Board policy and established personnel procedures.”

Much like currently, the added that, “We understand that our community may have questions. Because this is an ongoing legal process and confidential personnel matter, we cannot provide further details at this time.”

Bakker’s head coaching career spans several years and multiple schools, as he was the head coach at Clear Creek-Amana High School and Pleasantville High School before being hired at Waukee in 2021. His first position was working at West Des Moines Valley High School.

Under Bakker, Waukee went 4-6 last season after winning eight games in 2023 and six in 2024.

Matt Jeter Will Take Over As Head Coach Of The Warriors

Jeter was the head football coach for seven seasons at Simpson College. He resigned in 2022 after winning 22 games and would eventually join Bakker’s staff at Waukee.

He was a coach at the University of Central Missouri, Drake University and Des Moines Lincoln High School after concluding his playing career at Simpson. Jeter also played junior college football at Iowa Central Community College.

Jeter’s son, Jayden Jeter, played for the Warriors and graduated this past season.

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