Banks out as coach amid investigation

Korey Banks is out as Santaluces football coach after just five weeks amidst allegations of illegal recruiting.

Banks, who spent the past season as Boynton Beach’s defensive coordinator and was a full-time substitute teacher at that school, was hired Dec. 13 as Santaluces’ new head coach. On Thursday, Santaluces informed him they were rescinding his job offer.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is currently investigating claims that Banks recruited Boynton Beach players to join him at Santaluces.

Banks, a Santaluces alum, adamantly denied committing any recruiting violations.

“I never recruited any kids,” he said Thursday. “I love [coaching], and I was in it to help. I wasn’t in it for monetary reasons. I was there to help the kids and help my alma mater.”

On Dec. 23, Boynton Beach filed a recruiting complaint to the FHSAA, alleging that Banks was attempting to lure players to Santaluces while he was still an assistant coach at Boynton Beach.

Boynton Beach athletic director Evan Caruso told the Sun Sentinel earlier this month that Banks had been targeting between 10-15 players.

FHSAA spokesperson Kyle Niblett said he doesn’t expect the state’s investigation to be completed until next week.

Banks, a former Mississippi State defensive back who later spent 10 seasons in the Canadian Football League, said he wasn’t made aware of the specific claims the FHSAA is investigating.

“There was no communication from the school,” Banks said. “I never saw any of the allegations.

“For someone to put an assault on your name — that’s the worst thing.”

Documents that Boynton Beach filed to the FHSAA allege that Banks spoke to players on campus, even pulling some out of class, in an attempt to convince them to transfer. Banks is also alleged to have reached out to players via text message and social media.

The complaint also included written testimony from three Boynton Beach players who said Banks tried to recruit them.

Banks was hired to replace Jason Bradley, who finished 5-25 in three seasons with Santaluces. The program has traditionally struggled on the gridiron, with its most recent playoff appearance coming in 2009 and its last postseason win in 2001.