High School

Former Nevada High School Coach Arrested—What Officials Are Saying About Students

Frank Mariani, ex-football coach at Boulder City High School, faces multiple felony charges. Authorities and school officials are urging caution as the investigation continues.

Levi Payton

A former Nevada high school football coach has been arrested after a months-long investigation into allegations of lewd acts involving minor children.
A former Nevada high school football coach has been arrested after a months-long investigation into allegations of lewd acts involving minor children. / Taylor Balkom

Frank “Bubba” Mariani, 46, a former football coach at Boulder City High School, was arrested Jan. 28 following a three-month investigation into allegations of lewd acts involving minor children, Boulder City police announced.

The investigation began in early November 2025 after multiple students reported misconduct by Mariani. Detectives conducted interviews and gathered evidence before submitting the case to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office on Dec. 31 for approval of an arrest warrant. The warrant was approved Jan. 27, and Mariani was taken into custody the following day without incident. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

Police have not released additional details about the alleged incidents, citing the ages of the reported victims and the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Multiple felony charges filed

Mariani faces three felony counts of lewdness committed by a person over 18 with a child ages 14 or 15 and seven felony counts of first-degree child abuse or neglect, authorities said.

No court dates or plea information were immediately available. Mariani is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

School responds to arrest

In a statement shared with the school community, Boulder City High School Principal Amy Wagner emphasized student safety.

“The safety of our students is the number one priority at Boulder City High School,” Wagner said in the statement. “An employee assigned to our school was arrested on charges of child abuse and lewdness. The employee will not be allowed on campus. The Boulder City Police Department is the lead investigative agency. We wish to assure you that we will cooperate fully with law enforcement in their investigation.”

The Clark County School District also confirmed it is cooperating with authorities.

Coaching tenure and program transition

Mariani was hired as Boulder City High School’s head football coach in 2023, marking his first head coaching position after years as an assistant and coordinator in the Las Vegas area.

He led the Eagles for three seasons, compiling a 15–16 overall record and 7–11 mark in league play. Boulder City went 7–3 and earned a playoff win in his first season.

Near the end of the 2025 season, Wagner notified staff that Mariani would not coach the team in the postseason, though the reason for that absence was not revealed and it remains unclear whether it related to the investigation.

Chris Renner, who took over during the playoffs, was later named the school’s head coach.

Background in high school football

Before being hired at Boulder City, Mariani spent more than two decades in the Las Vegas area as a player and coach. He played high school football in Illinois and later at Harper College before finishing his playing career at the University of St. Francis.

Mariani previously coached at Desert Pines High School, where he was part of two state championship staffs in 2016 and 2017, according to earlier reporting at the time of his hire. He also worked as a special education teacher while coaching.

Allegations from players and staff

Several parents, players, and staff members had previously raised concerns about Mariani’s conduct to local outlets. One player told the Boulder City Review that Mariani made inappropriate comments toward students.

A teacher who requested anonymity described a broader pattern within the football program. “It is just an atmosphere of anything goes with the coaches,” the teacher said. “There is a tremendous amount of derogatory comments that they make toward students, belittling them, and it’s a problem.”

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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