Apartment, car, $2,000: The alleged recruiting offer that cost Brandon Roy his Garfield coaching job

Nearly one year after Brandon Roy was dismissed as Garfield High School’s boys’ basketball coach, internal records obtained by MyNorthwest have shed light on what led to the surprise firing.

A student from Auburn Mountainview High School was allegedly offered an apartment, a car, $2,000, and paid driver’s education if he would transfer to Garfield to play basketball. The allegations of the itemized “gifts” the Auburn student, who has not been named, was set to receive were stated in multiple emails between high-ranking faculty members within Seattle Public Schools (SPS), including Dr. Tarance Hart, the principal of Garfield High, Tai·a Davis, director of athletics, Jaines Mercer, regional executive director of school, Misa Gaimoe, executive director, labor & employee association relations, and Patrice Debe, manager, labor and employee relations.

“These offers were reportedly made to encourage the student to transfer to Garfield,” Debe wrote in one of the obtained emails. “Herrin said Brandon Roy was reported to have joined a four-way phone call in which the offers were discussed. Herrin also noted concern that only the student and his brother would move to Seattle, without the rest of the family.”

The Auburn student who was allegedly being recruited was sharing a bedroom with his brother in his parents’ apartment.

Representatives of Garfield High School reported the alleged violation to both the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and to Seattle Public Schools, which launched an internal investigation last June.

“I have confirmed with my coaches and staff that at no time were any conversations held with the student or family members in question,” Roy wrote in a statement after the WIAA asked Garfield to formally respond to the allegation. “Verifying, no promises of money, housing, transportation, or any other benefits were ever made to any student-athlete or their parent/guardian to influence enrollment decisions. These allegations are entirely false. My staff and I unequivocally deny that any recruiting violations of this nature have occurred within my program.”

Two days after he gave this statement, on Sept. 24, Roy was officially fired from his position as Garfield High School’s boys’ basketball coach.

“The purpose for this letter is to inform you that your hourly coaching position with Seattle School District No. 1 (“District”) is ending effective immediately,” Hart wrote in an email obtained by MyNorthwest. “You were hired as an hourly ‘at will’ employee by the District at Garfield High School (“GHS”). The District has the authority to end your hourly employment at its discretion, at any time, without any further payments.

“The District is ending your hourly employment based upon Garfield High School’s decision to move in a different direction and build a program centered on the whole child,” the email continued. “This is not a disciplinary action or an investigation.”

According to The Seattle Times, a similar allegation was made against Garfield a couple of years ago regarding a player who transferred from Eastside Catholic to Garfield.

Brandon Roy’s coaching tenure

Roy played five of his six NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, earning three All-Star spots, two All-NBA nods, and the Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, before his career prematurely ended due to degenerative knee issues.

He had been the men’s basketball coach since 2017, winning the Class 3A championship three times in 2018, 2020, and 2023.

Roy, born in Seattle, attended Garfield High School before he played for the University of Washington (UW). His No. 4 jersey was retired by Garfield High and still hangs in the rafters to this day.

During his tenure as coach, Roy coached his son, BJ, before he graduated and went on to attend UW, following in his father’s footsteps.

Garfield’s boys’ basketball team went 9-15 in the 2025-26 season, the worst record the team has had in more than 20 years.

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