Former NBA star Brandon Roy is set to return as head boys basketball coach at Seattle's Garfield High School, his own alma mater. According to FOX 13 Seattle, the three-time NBA All-Star and Garfield graduate appeared to confirm the news himself, signaling a comeback to the program where his basketball career first took root years before he reached the professional ranks.
Roy seemed to make the announcement on social media rather than through a formal news conference. He reposted screenshots of others celebrating his return, along with what appeared to be an email from the school's principal stating that Roy will be back as the head boys basketball coach for next year, lending weight to reports of his reinstatement.
The return marks the end of a turbulent chapter for the celebrated local figure. In March, the Seattle Times reported that Roy had been fired from that very same coaching role the previous year, abruptly cutting short his tenure at the school he once starred for as a student athlete.
His dismissal had been tied to a serious allegation. Roy was let go after an accusation that he was involved in a recruiting scandal, in which an NBA agent allegedly offered a student cash, a car, and an apartment as inducements if that student agreed to transfer to the school. The claim placed both the coach and the program under scrutiny.
Throughout the controversy, Roy has firmly pushed back against the accusations. He has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that he was not involved in any improper recruiting and rejecting the idea that he had any role in the alleged offers made to the student in question.
The path back to the sideline opened after an official review of the matter. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association completed its examination and did not find violations by Garfield, effectively clearing the school in connection with the recruiting accusation that had triggered Roy's removal.
With that review concluded, Roy reapplied for his former position, and the job is now his once again. His return brings a familiar and high-profile name back to the Garfield bench, reuniting one of the school's most decorated basketball alumni with the program where his own playing days began.