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SALT LAKE CITY — Looking below the surface, which some would consider impossible under the circumstances, the high school coaching ranks lost a valuable member.
Believe it or not, Max Hall was a positive influence on many of the players he coached during his brief tenure at Gilbert High near his hometown in the Arizona desert. That he won’t be interacting with those players any time soon is unfortunate for both sides.
In a shock to many, Hall was arrested in Arizona on suspicion of shoplifting and drug possession late last month. As a result, the winningest quarterback in BYU history lost his position on the Gilbert coaching staff.
Barely a decade older than some of his players, Hall connected in a manner that resonated with them. In a time when stories of verbal abuse have become commonplace, Hall was more of a Bronco Mendenhall type rather than a yeller and screamer.
According to a mother of one player on the team, he created a bond by learning names and treating the players with respect and fairness. Jill Heywood, whose son, Chris, plays for Gilbert, said Hall’s methods worked.
“He brought a lot of experience and plays to the team,” she said. “He isn’t crude and demeaning like so many of the coaches.”
Related:
Max Hall arrested for alleged shoplifting, drug possession
Former BYU quarterback Max Hall was arrested Saturday for allegedly shoplifting and for drug possession.“I thought he was a good coach,” said Chris Heywood, a sophomore receiver. “He was smart with plays and knew what he was doing. He had a purpose for every play we ran and wasn’t one of those coaches that yelled at you and got in your face.”
Jill Heywood recalled a conversation with a coach in which he said Hall was a “hundred times better coach than he ever was a player.” He thought coaching would be Hall’s calling in life.
Too bad none of that seems to matter anymore, now that Hall allegedly fell prey to his demons. On Aug. 29, one day after serving as offensive coordinator in his team’s win, Gilbert police were called to an area Best Buy after a store employee told police he saw Hall taking merchandise out of boxes and stuffing them in his backpack. Police also found a “personal use quantity of cocaine."
Hall’s arrest and subsequent removal from the coaching staff is the latest in a series of problems for Gilbert High. Three weeks ago the head coach was placed on administrative leave while the Gilbert School District and police department investigated allegations of theft.
With the coach on leave, Hall called the plays on offense and the team won. This past week, after Hall’s arrest, Gilbert lost by 30 points.
He brought a lot of experience and plays to the team. He isn't crude and demeaning like so many of the coaches.
–Jill Heywood
While it’s easy to pile on Hall for his atrocious judgment, there are many victims in this situation. Include on that list the primary offender, who has a wife and two young children.
The suburbs east of Phoenix, known as the East Valley, can be considered a small community, especially among members of the LDS faith. At least to some extent, Hall’s arrest for alleged drug use was not a complete surprise.
A star at Mesa Mountain View High, the same school that produced former BYU and NFL quarterback John Beck, Hall signed with Arizona State. Hall’s uncle, Danny White, was a two-sport star for the Sun Devils in the early 1970s.
Redshirting his first season, Hall served a church mission. After coming home early, he transferred to BYU in part for personal reasons.
The three-year starter was 32-7 and is the last BYU quarterback to beat Utah. He punctuated the overtime win in 2009 with his infamous postgame rant on the “classless” Utes.
Shortly after news of the arrest, former teammates and BYU officials rallied around Hall. Rivalry aside, he deserves the support of BYU and the community at large.
As former BYU great Chad Lewis points out, drug use and addiction is no respecter of persons.
“I love the guy,” said Lewis, who knows Hall well. “He’s in a tight spot and he’s going to get himself right. That’s the main thing, he’s wants to get himself right. It’s a tragedy, it’s embarrassing, it’s tough. But goodness gracious, that’s life and people get into stuff. It’s really indiscriminate who gets trapped. It doesn’t matter who you are.”
