Rockwall ISD has placed Rockwall High School wrestling coach Josh Brining on administrative leave while investigating accusations that he contributed to an injury to one of his athletes and committed possible recruiting violations.
Tabatha Gross filed a complaint with the school district after her son, Gavin Gross, suffered a traumatic shoulder injury last month that could keep him out until at least late December. She said the injury was caused, in part, by Brining trying to pop her son’s shoulder back into place at a workout and demanding that Gavin compete in a tournament the next day.
An MRI later revealed a tear and a fracture, Gross said, and Gavin is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday.
“Rockwall ISD is in the process of investigating the concerns,” the school district said in a prepared statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, the coach is currently on administrative leave while the investigation is being conducted. The nature of this investigation relates to the wrestling program and ensuring compliance with the University Interscholastic League (UIL). Student safety is a top priority for the District and we are closely monitoring this situation.”
Gavin, a junior defensive lineman who is hoping to possibly wrestle and/or play football in college, will miss the entire football season and at least the first part of the UIL wrestling season.
“I’m devastated,” he said. “Everybody knows your junior year is most important for football, wrestling. That’s when all the recruiters look at you. I might not even be able to wrestle this year. I was ready to win state.”
Brining did not respond to phone or text messages seeking comment. He is in his first year at Rockwall after previously working as the head coach and an assistant coach for the Allen girls program during its run of four consecutive Class 6A team state titles from 2021 through 2024.
Rockwall assistant wrestling coach Baylor Steward declined to comment, and Rockwall football coach/athletic coordinator Trey Brooks referred all questions to the Rockwall ISD communications department. Rockwall ISD athletic director Bryce Monsen did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Gross said her son, a state qualifier in the heavyweight division (285 pounds) in Class 6A last season, was initially injured in a mandatory summer workout July 25 while wrestling an athlete that Brining brought in from outside the school district. Gross alleges that Brining was trying to recruit the other wrestler.
During takedown drills, Gavin said his opponent was “wrestling dirty” and that Brining was encouraging the behavior. Gavin was slammed to the ground multiple times in a manner that violated the rules, Gross said, injuring her son’s shoulder and leaving him in intense pain.
Gross alleges that Brining told an assistant coach that he thought her son’s injury was a subluxation, a partial dislocation. Gavin said there was no athletic trainer at the workout and that Brining took him into the training room and popped his shoulder back into place without his permission.
“He put my arm back into place without asking me,” Gavin said. “I couldn’t move my arm, and it hurt real bad. He asked me if I could move it, and I said I couldn’t. He started moving it, and I thought he was just trying to see how much I could move it. Then he just forcefully put it into place.”
That caused further damage, Gavin said.
“Despite the injury, Coach Brining insisted that Gavin participate in a tournament the following day, demonstrating a blatant disregard for my son’s well-being,” Gross said. “Coach Brining lied to us and downplayed Gavin’s injury, resulting in a further delay in medical care.”
Gross said Brining told her son he was OK to compete and that Gavin didn’t realize the extent of the damage until he got taken down in his first match of a tournament that was not part of UIL competition.
“Gavin went down like a sack of potatoes,” Gross said. “Gavin comes off and looks green, his fingers are twitching and he goes, ‘I don’t know what’s going on; I have no strength in this arm. I can’t use my arm.’ "
Gavin said Brining then demanded that he continue competing.
“He kept insisting that I go to the trainer, and he kept trying to insist that you’ve got to wrestle,” Gavin said.
Gross said at that point, her husband stepped in and said Gavin was done competing and was leaving. An MRI on Aug. 1 revealed the extent of the injury.
“This is unacceptable. This is horrible,” Gross said.
In a letter dated Aug. 13 and obtained by The Dallas Morning News, Rockwall ISD chief human resources officer Joey Byrum told Gross, “We want to assure you that we are taking this matter seriously. An investigation into the allegations will be conducted promptly and thoroughly. We are committed to addressing your concerns and will take appropriate action based on our findings.”
Gross said Brining never reached out to the family to check on how Gavin was doing, even before he was placed on administrative leave. She said that the school district has not notified parents about the investigation.
“Gavin is scared of him. He doesn’t trust him,” Gross said. “If he has hurt somebody else and these kids just don’t have the courage to talk or they are scared they are going to lose their position ... I want them to warn these parents, and they just won’t do that.”
It comes a year after Rockwall ISD made national headlines when parents said that at least 15 to 18 football players at Rockwall-Heath were hospitalized following an intense workout that required athletes to do nearly 400 push-ups. Multiple students were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a stress-induced muscle disorder that can damage cells and cause kidney damage, and Rockwall-Heath head coach John Harrell resigned after having been initially placed on administrative leave.
A letter from Rockwall ISD said investigators found that the offseason workout plan was implemented in a way that negatively affected the physical health of some football players, in violation of Rockwall ISD board policy. Tiger Hanner, Harrell’s attorney, said Child Protective Services found no abuse or neglect on Harrell’s part in its investigation.
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