Former Iowa High School Football Coach Reaches Settlement Over Policy Violation

A former Iowa high school head football coach has reached an agreement in a course case involving comments he made to his players.

Cole Mather served as the head football coach at Dyersville Beckman Catholic High School from 2023-25, earning district coach of the year honors in 2025 after leading the Trailblazers to a district championship.

This past March, Mather was replaced by Ryan Messiner, who had been an assistant at the school for several seasons.

According to a report by KCRG.com, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners reached a settlement agreement with Mather that reduces the initial charge that cited an inappropriate relationship with students.

Former Iowa High School Head Football Coach Sent Social Media Messages To Players

In the settlement agreement, the Board of Educational Examiners remarked that Mather sent out social media messages to players that stated “his players were like family,” while also taking two players to an Iowa State University football team.

The players had permission to attend the game with Mather from their guardians, but without saying how, the settlement noted that Mather’s actions violated a policy of “willfully or repeatedly departing from or failing to conform to the minimum standards of acceptable and prevailing educational practice in the state of Iowa.”

Mather denied any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement while agreeing to take an ethics class as part of his one-year probation. He also received a written reprimand on his teaching license.

Mather remains listed as a physical education teacher on the school’s official website.