Ex-Nevada high school football coach accused of lewdness, child abuse

A former Boulder City High School football coach was arrested Wednesday on 10 felony charges including child abuse after an investigation into alleged lewd acts upon children, police announced Thursday.

Frank Mariani, 46, was charged with three felony counts of lewdness committed by a person over 18 with a child 14 or 15 years of age and seven felony counts of child abuse or neglect, the Boulder City Police Department said in a news release.

“In early November 2025, the Boulder City Police Department started investigating allegations made by several minors that one of the Boulder City High School Football coaches had committed lewd acts upon several minor children,” the news release said.

Boulder City police said Mariani was booked into the Clark County Detention Center after his arrest.

In December, the mother of a Boulder City High School football player filed a complaint with Boulder City police about Mariani, the Boulder City Review reported.

Athena Gargill said her son alleged that Mariani had made “disgusting” sexual comments and gestures around the football team, the Review reported. Multiple other parents also contacted the Review to make allegations against Mariani.

As of Thursday, according to Nevada Department of Education records, Mariani remained listed as a licensed educator for the Clark County School District at Boulder City High School for the 2025-26 school year.

Mariani, who did not coach the school’s season-ending 39-6 playoff loss to Virgin Valley on Nov. 7, was described in the police news release as the school’s former football coach.

Boulder City High School principal Amy Wagner said in a message distibuted by the school district Thursday that Mariani will not be allowed on campus.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.