In a stunning midseason development, Rob Page stepped down as football coach at Canal Winchester on Sept. 23 following an investigation of reported "unprofessional conduct."
He spent just 17 games with the program.
Director of communications for the school district Megan Anthony confirmed Page’s resignation to The Dispatch.
“[Page] was placed on administrative leave over the weekend while the district investigated reports of unprofessional conduct toward a student-athlete,” Anthony said in a statement. “Our investigation substantiated those reports. The conduct identified through the investigation was unacceptable and inconsistent with the standards we expect from staff members trusted with the care and support of our students.”
Defensive coordinator
Corey Coe has been named the interim coach, Anthony shared.
Page, who also resigned as a teacher in the school district, did not respond to requests for a comment.
“Our focus now is on our student athletes,” Anthony said. “Coach Coe, our football coaching staff, and our athletic department are committed to providing the stability and support our players need to move forward and have a positive experience for the rest of the season.”
Canal fell to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the OCC-Buckeye with a 24-21 loss to Pickerington Central on Sept. 18.
Canal went 10-2 in Page’s first season a year ago, reaching the Division II, Region 7 semifinals before dropping a 35-0 decision to second-seeded Big Walnut. Canal was seeded fourth. The team went 6-1 in the OCC-Buckeye to finish second behind Central (7-0).
Page succeeded Jake Kuhner, who went 33-16 in four seasons before the school decided against renewing his contract in 2025.
Page has a career record of 63-34, including a 27-9 mark at Big Walnut, where was named state co-Coach of the Year in 2021. The Golden Eagles made trips to the Region 7 semifinals in both of Page's last two seasons.
Page had earlier stints at Milan in Indiana (2014-15) and Reading (2016-17) in suburban Cincinnati.
He served as the offensive coordinator at Upper Arlington in 2024 and offensive line coach at Dublin Coffman in 2023.
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Page resigns as Canal Winchester football coach after investigation
