VISTA — The Vista Unified School District board room was packed with emotional students and parents last week speaking in support of Vista High School varsity football coach David Faatuiese after his contract was not renewed for next season.
Faatuiese, known by the community as Coach Vika, was hired for the head coach role in April 2023. His arrival ushered in a new era for the football program following an investigation that found a pattern of misconduct by some athletes within the program, which resulted in restructuring its coaching staff.
Word spread in early February that Faautiese had been laid off from his coaching role, with little explanation from the district. Community members crowded the district board meeting on Feb. 7 to demand answers and speak about Faatuise’s positive impact.
Student-athletes, some speaking through tears, said Faatuiese supported them both on and off the field, encouraged them to keep up with their schoolwork and helped them to become men of character.
“It’s been hard for us to deal with all this adversity the past couple years,” said VHS junior Preston Schreiber. “Coach Vika brought back Big Red football. I am thankful to call him my coach. The past couple of days have been hard for us as a team and a community.”
Other athletes said the program itself has benefitted from Faatuiese’s leadership. He brought the Panthers to the semifinals of the CIF San Diego Division V playoffs, and the team finished 4-8 for the 2024 season, its best record in the past three years.
“We will not watch this program fall right as it was getting back to the glory it once had,” said VHS senior Preston Carrasco.
The Vista Unified School District did not provide responses to inquiries from The Coast News about ending Faatuiese’s contract. However, VHS Principal Megan Ratliff told the San Diego Union-Tribune last week that the school “decided to go in a different direction with football.”
Faatuiese continues to be employed as an education specialist at Vista High. He could not be reached for an interview before deadline.
Sean Hayes, who also coaches VHS football, said Faatuise inherited a “program in disarray” and has turned it into something positive.
“He inherited something that was broken, and what he did over the past few years was fix something,” Hayes said.
Previous head coach David Bottom was placed on administrative leave in September 2022 after a video, which appeared to show a student being assaulted by other students in the VHS football locker room, ignited community outrage.
Jerry Garrett was named interim coach until Faatuiese was hired.
Faatuiese played varsity football at Vista High himself before coming to coach the team. He also played D1 football at the University of Montana from 2015-2019.
