Beckman’s coach resigns, but not because of Wilson’s autopsy report
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Beckman’s football coach, Brian Mustain, resigned on Monday after several weeks of deliberation. Coincidentally, it was announced on Wednesday, the same day the autopsy report for junior lineman Kenny Wilson was released.
Wilson died the first day of fall practice from heat stroke.
“It’s not a result of Kenny’s passing,” Mustain said Thursday of his decision to leave his post after three seasons and a 14-16 overall record. “That’s the point everyone’s trying to associate it with. It has no bearing, one on the other.”
Mustain’s wife, Stefania, has a ‘lifestyle-altering’ illness that has gotten worse since July, and doctors don’t know how to treat it. It requires Mustain to care for her and their children, ages 3 and 1. On top of that, he spent about two hours a day commuting from his home in Whittier during football season.
‘Until we can find out what’s causing her problems, coaching is not as relevant as taking care of the family,’ Mustain said. ‘It’s very difficult for her on a daily basis.’
Wilson died on Aug. 17 after collapsing on the practice field. At the time, he was wearing, shorts, shirt and helmet; no pads. Five minutes earlier, the team had finished a 10-minute water break.
The Patriots dedicated their season to the junior lineman and went 5-5 on the field, though an 18-15 season-opening loss to Artesia later became a victory by forfeit. In that game, and after an emotional pregame ceremony that included Wilson’s parents, Beckman scored on its opening drive, shortly after a 64-yard run by D’Amato Tyson on the team’s first play.
Beckman lost all four of its Pacific Coast League games, and had won only one league game in two seasons.
Mustain declined to comment on the result of the autopsy report. Though he described Wilson as ‘a big
kid,’ he said that ‘to describe him as obese or fat would be incorrect.’
I wrote a story last year about the prevalence of 300-pound linemen -- it wasn’t just about fat linemen, but guys carrying a large amount of mass -- and I spoke to Sandra Fowkes Godek, a West Chester (Pa.) University specialist in the area of heat-related issues with at-risk athletes who has worked with the NFL Eagles, NHL Flyers and the U.S. Men’s soccer team.
This is what Fowkes Goden said: ‘Football players who die practicing do so in the first or second day in the preseason. It doesn’t matter. Korey Stringer died on the first day. A kid in our conference died the first morning. That’s almost the most important thing. You really monitor those first three days.’
It was a comment that turned out be to tragically prophetic.
Beckman under Coach Brian Mustain:
- 2005 -- 2-8
- 2006 -- 6-4
- 2007 -- 6-4
-- Martin Henderson