Former Ringling football coach's trial moved to September

A former Ringling football coach accused of abusing his student-athletes is set to face a jury trial in September. The trial was originally scheduled to begin Feb. 10, 2025.

Phillip Koons is charged with a misdemeanor for outraging public decency. Online court records show Koons' misdemeanor jury trial is now scheduled for Sept. 15, 2025 in Jefferson County.

Seven students say he verbally abused them and used racial slurs.

Koons previously withdrew a 'no contest' plea.

A jury trial is set to get underway Monday morning in Jefferson County.

Timeline:

-February 13, 2023

Parents at Ringling High School spoke at a school board meeting, saying that for years their children have been verbally abused and threatened by Phillip Koons.

The school board deliberated for hours in executive session before announcing they renewed Koons' contract. Ringling High School said he was rehired in a five-to-zero vote.

The Ringling Chief of Police said they were not aware of any allegations before this time, and the department had since received a DHS report. The police said they would forward all information to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. 

-February 20, 2023

Attorneys representing multiple Ringing High School victims were preparing a federal complaint against Phillip Koons. Victim statements claimed that “Koons made everyone do up-downs naked in the turf locker room,” with some players saying they sustained “burns on their private parts.” 

The Oklahoma State Department of Education released this statement at the time:

“We are in communication with the investigators and are closely tracking the progress of their investigation. We are at this time prepared to take swift and decisive action in the matter.” 

-February 22, 2023

State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that Koons had been placed on paid administrative leave after harassment allegations.

The NAACP Oklahoma State Conference also called for a formal civil rights investigation into Phillip Koons' treatment of his players.

-February 24, 2023

Ringling High School parents had told News 9 they were concerned when they heard he was being considered for the job in Ringling years ago after resigning from two other districts.

-May 1, 2023

Students at Ringling High School walked out of class, with members of the senior class issuing a statement saying staff members had mocked them and embarrassed them in front of their classmates.

-June 1, 2023

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation turned over its report on Ringling Public Schools to the Jefferson County District Attorney.

-October 17, 2023

Koons was charged with a misdemeanor of outraging public decency after months of investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, according to court records.

-January 2, 2024

Phillip Koons pled no contest to the charge, and a Jefferson County judge accepted the plea of no contest but not the bargain.

The plea agreement would make Koons step away from Ringling Schools, something that the judge disagreed with.

The judge asked the Jefferson County District Attorney about the OSBI Investigation. The DA said there were seven victims, and the judge questioned why only one misdemeanor was brought forward.

The DA and attorney agreed to a 7-year teaching hiatus for Koons.

-January 31, 2024

A Jefferson County Judge was supposed to decide whether to accept Koons's request to withdraw his no-contest plea. However, Koons collapsed during the hearing.

-March 12, 2024

Koons withdrew his blind plea after he said he did not understand the consequences of the blind plea he entered into.