Garfield High School: Coach Roy to return after cleared in recruiting violation investigation

Coach Roy, middle (Image: @garfieldmbb)

Garfield High says former coach and NBA star Brandon Roy has been cleared in a recruiting violation investigation and will return to lead the school’s boys basketball team.

“Coach Roy is deeply connected to Garfield as a former student, parent, coach, and member of this community. He understands the pride, history, and responsibility that comes with leading this program,” the announcement from Principal Tarance Hart reads. “Coach Roy and I share a clear belief that Garfield basketball must be about more than winning. It must be about academics, accountability, discipline, pride, and helping young people grow as students, athletes, and leaders.”

According to internal emails and a complaint filed with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association by rival school Auburn Mountainview, it was alleged last year that Roy was involved in a recruiting push alongside an NBA agent. The allegation claimed that a student-athlete was offered an apartment, a car, $2,000 in cash, and a paid driver’s education course to transfer to Garfield for the 2025–26 school year.

But Hart says the WIAA has completed its review and found no violation.

“Coach Roy did not coach during the 2025-26 season while the matter was under review. When the position became available this spring, Coach Roy applied through the Seattle Public Schools hiring process and participated in a thorough interview process with a committee that included school leadership, athletics leadership, a student-athlete, and a parent representative,” Hart said in the announcement. “The committee considered the needs of the program, expectations for student-athletes, communication, compliance, and program leadership. Coach Roy emerged as the top candidate and was selected to return as head coach.”

Roy will return to what has been an exceedingly successful run at Garfield. Under the former NBA great whose career was cut short by injuries, the Garfield boys basketball team has established itself at a dominant, championship-caliber level and a resurgent powerhouse among Washington state’s 3A level schools.

Roy’s exit left many asking why the school and district weren’t doing more to stand by the coach and raised questions about why the departure was part of the removal of four Black coaches in the district to end 2025.

In addition to Roy, Garfield athletics also fired girls basketball head coach Roy Smiley.

In a letter to the community, the administration framed the removal of both Smiley and boys head coach Roy as a complete “program reset.” The school said it was looking to begin a new chapter focused on rebuilding the culture and ensuring a program that was “competitively, academically supportive, and welcoming” for student-athletes.

In his announcement on the return of Roy, Hart said Garfield is “strengthening expectations across all Garfield athletics.”

“That means making sure coaching staff across all sports receive the proper training and clearly understand school, district, Metro League, and WIAA policies and rules,” Hart writes. “It also means every program must support students academically, follow eligibility expectations, operate with appropriate supervision, and represent Garfield with integrity.”

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