ELBA, Ala. (WDHN/AP) — A high school football coach from Elba has resigned after video showed him shoving his son on the sideline during a football game.

News outlets report that Pate Harrison’s resignation from Elba High School was announced during a school board meeting on Monday. Harrison had been on leave since an incident involving his son at a football game two weeks ago. The young man is a team member, and video shows the coach shoving him from the rear after a remark.

Harrison has apologized publicly in a Facebook post. He says he lost his cool after his son told him to shut up, adding that there was no excuse for what he did.

An interim head coach, Glen Johnson, will lead the team the rest of the season.

BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL STORY FROM NEXSTAR PARTNER WDHN IN DOTHAN SHORTY FOLLOWING THE SEPT. 18 INCIDENT:

ELBA, Ala. (WDHN) — An incident during Elba High School’s J-V football game Monday night led to the suspension of Varsity Coach Pate Harrison.

In the attached video and pictures provided to WDHN, it appears that Coach Harrison runs and slams into one of the players on the sideline. The young man is the coach’s son.

The video shows Harrison push past a player and referee before shoving his son around the neck/upper back area, causing the teenager’s head to snap back for a moment.

In a Facebook post, Harrison wrote that his son had told him to “shut up,” which caused him to lose his temper. He apologized for his behavior, saying there was no excuse for his actions.

The post has since been removed.







The Elba Clipper reports that Elba School Superintendent Chris Moseley suspended Harrison from coaching and teaching duties while he investigates the incident further.

The superintendent will hold a 12:30 p.m. news conference Wednesday afternoon concerning the matter.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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