Inderkum High School suspends football coach Reggie Harris; Justin Reber takes over Tigers
Reggie Harris, a longtime area coach known for in-game intensity and off-field charisma, has been suspended indefinitely as head varsity football coach at Inderkum High School, the second stunning leadership change for traditionally Bee-ranked teams in recent weeks.
Inderkum athletic director and offensive coordinator Justin Reber has been named interim head coach as the Tigers prepare for a Friday night scrimmage against Rocklin. Inderkum, which is part of the Natomas Unified School District, will kick off its season Aug. 18 against Del Oro.
Capital Christian football was jolted late last month when Saul Patu abruptly resigned his post after leading the Cougars into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV finals last December. Patu stepped down the day before the first practice, replaced on an interim basis by athletic director Aaron Garcia.
Late Friday, Inderkum principal J. Scott Pitts sent an email to families of Inderkum football players with news of Harris’ absence, although his statement was vague and did not mention a suspension. The Sacramento Bee has learned the suspension is tied to finances raised through football.
Natomas Unified Communications Executive Director Deidra Powell told The Bee on Tuesday she could not discuss details, but she confirmed Harris has been suspended as coach. She added Harris will be teaching physical education courses at Inderkum this academic year. The first day of school is Thursday.
Powell sent The Bee a copy of the email from Pitts. It read, in part: “Dear Football Families: Thank you for being a part of our Inderkum High School Football Program. As we value our partnership with our families, we wanted to keep you in the loop with this update.
“At this time, Coach Harris will temporarily be unable to fill the role of the head football coach, yet our existing football coaching staff will continue to work with the team. We are thankful for the dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and football families in building a successful season. Your support of our students and Inderkum High School is appreciated!”
Reber, a regional coach at various stops for 20 years, led the Tigers through Friday night’s intrasquad scrimmage, which happened after Harris was suspended. Reber also led the Tigers in morning practices this week.
“We had a great scrimmage,” Reber said. “The kids are pretty locked in. They’re really mature. We’ve got some good senior leadership and they’ve put in the work. They’re resilient. You’re defined as a man by how you deal with adversity, and they’re dealing with it. They’ve responded.”
Reber said the 45-man varsity roster remains intact. No one has left the team amid the coaching change. All of the coaches are also still on board, he said.
Reber is the fourth coach for Inderkum since 2019, the last campaign for 220-game winner Terry Stark, who built the Tigers into one of the section’s powerhouse programs, a run that included two 11-1 teams and a 12-1 outfit in his final seasons.
Casey Taylor coached the Tigers in the spring-shortened COVID season of 2021 before taking over at his alma mater of Oak Ridge in El Dorado Hills.
Inderkum administration expressed elation after landing Harris before the 2021 season, in which the Tigers went 5-5. They reached the playoffs last season in Harris’ second season with the program.
Harris was an assistant football coach and athletic director at Grant for 12 years, a stretch that included 12 playoff teams and the 2008 CIF state Open Division championship. A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Harris had more coaching success as an assistant in Florida. He landed his first head coaching gig at Antelope High School in the Roseville Joint Union District in the COVID spring season of 2021.
But Harris was dismissed as coach after the team finished the short season 2-2, when, according to Harris, a disgruntled family in the football program dug into his background in an effort to discredit him.
The search found that Harris, as a 23-year-old in 1994, was initially tied to a marijuana sting along with others in Virginia Beach. The charges never stuck and Harris was not convicted. His record was expunged.
Harris could not be reached by The Bee for comment. In a Bee story after he accepted the Inderkum job, Harris said of getting back up after taking a hit on the field or in life: “I tell kids all the time that adversity creates motivation. Get motivated. Get your head up. I’ve got my head up.”
