Alvin High School football coach resigns, under investigation for allegedly making racial comments

ALVIN, Texas - Alvin High School’s football coach resigned Thursday while under investigation by the district. Tim Teykl allegedly had a pattern of making racially insensitive comments towards some of the minority players. 

Teykl was on administrative leave when he resigned and reportedly went into retirement.

Alvin ISD released a statement on Thursday, confirming Teykl's resignation. 

"At Alvin ISD, we are committed to keeping our families and community informed of information that pertains to you and your child. During an investigation, Alvin High School’s Head Football Coach, Tim Teykl, submitted his resignation from Alvin ISD. Coach Teykl served as Head Football Coach for Alvin High School since 2019. Alvin ISD’s focus will remain on providing each student with an academic and athletic program they deserve and one that lives up to the ideas of excellence for each student. Coach Chad Strban will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. During this season of change, we are confident that Alvin High School’s outstanding faculty and staff will remain caring and supportive as we move forward. We will continue to work with our families and the community to ensure we collectively support, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our district."

The controversy started last week before a game when Teykl was allegedly addressing whether some players could protest racial injustice by kneeling during a game, like many professional athletes. 

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Senior players Leon Bell, a defensive end, and Ronald Broussard, a running back, spoke out against Teykl, accusing him of responding with racist comments. 

Bell had also reportedly asked about wearing a Black Lives Matter mask. 

"He’s like we’re not doing that. We’re going to be classy. He said he has nothing against the negroes, n***ers and Black people, Black lives matter, sp***s and ch***s," Bell explained. 

Bell and Broussard say it wasn’t the first time Teykl has made racially insensitive remarks. In fact, the two claim their coach used similar, offensive rhetoric multiple times a week. 

"Last year he kept saying all the Black people meet at the office so I can give y’all some lotion," Bell said.

Instead of support from their teammates, the brothers say they’ve been receiving threatening and disturbing messages since the incident last week.  

Both have now withdrawn from Alvin High School and will be transferring to Dickinson in their senior year, citing concerns for their safety. 

"Some kids sent me a KKK video. Some of them was talking about fighting me," Bell said. 

"They told us it was selfish and stuff like that and they said we brought the team down, basically making us look like bad people," Broussard said. 

The family's pastor, William King, hopes the University Interscholastic League (UIL) does not penalize the brothers for transferring. 

"Everyone knows that coaches play an enormous role in the lives of athletes," King said. "These young boys are in their senior year of high school. They are athletes. They want to move to the next level so by transferring to another district, puts them in a position where the UIL has to qualify them as eligible players without penalties."   

Eugene Howard with the Brazoria County NAACP hopes the district will take further action so Teykl can’t simply get another job elsewhere, without further training. He’s also calling on Alvin ISD to denounce white supremacy and consider adopting a new curriculum. 

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"There's less now, but there are only five minorities on the varsity football team right now," said Howard. "The significance of this white coach despising every culture and race except for Caucasian, is in itself troubling. Not to mention the fact that he used the n-word, s-word, c-word."  

"We're asking the district to adopt the George Floyd initiative from the NAACP and what that is is they would adopt the approved curriculum, from the TEA -- African American studies that was approved last summer," Howard continued. 

As for the boys' mom, she hopes to put this incident behind the family and focus on their future. 

"We’re just going to look forward and hope that everything works out for the boys," said Aprill Bell. 

Prior to Alvin High School, Teykl worked at the collegiate level including the University of Houston and TCU in years past. 

FOX 26 reached out to Teykl for comment, but so far have not heard back.