Park City High School Principal Roger Arbabi and Athletic Director Jamie Sheetz emailed parents of the boys cross country team Oct. 14, informing them that head coach Matt Nagie had been placed on leave for the remainder of the season.
No reason for the decision was cited in the email which also said Dave Yoccum would take over cross country coaching responsibilities.
Nagie, who also served as physics teacher at Park City High School, confirmed to KPCW that he resigned on Nov. 19 from teaching and coaching.
In a separate email KPCW obtained through a public records request, Arbabi wrote to parents and students on Nov. 26 that Joe Rhodes would become Park City High School’s physics teacher starting in December.
"We understand that the recent changes in the science department have been challenging,” Arbabi wrote.
Nagie didn’t comment specifically on why he resigned, but in a Dec. 17 statement to KPCW, he said “after six wonderful years with Park City School District, the time has come to move on. I look forward to spending more time with my extended family, attending grad school, and continuing to challenge myself professionally in education and engineering. I wish the students, families, and educators of Park City the absolute best."
The Park City School District has declined KPCW’s requests for comment since late October stating Utah law does not require the district to release records related to certain personnel matters.
The district declined all but two of KPCW's public records requests that might shed light on the reason Nagie was placed on leave, citing state laws that protect some employment records.
Nagie sits on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, which makes land use decisions and recommendations in western Summit County.
Nagie, who grew up in Jeremy Ranch, also ran for Park City Council in 2023. He came within 200 votes of winning a seat, placing fifth overall.
