West Charlotte football coach Sam Greiner will not return. What we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sam Greiner relieved as West Charlotte coach; CMS opened paid suspension probe
- Greiner led program to multiple winning seasons, two state titles and national ranks
- Investigation follows prior 2022 CMS suspension; community supporters pushed reinstatement
Just days after leading West Charlotte to the N.C. 8A West regional championship game, Lions football coach Sam Greiner has been relieved of his coaching duties.
Sources close to the school tell the Charlotte Observer that Greiner has been suspended with pay as a teacher, pending the outcome of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools investigation.
The Observer has reached out to CMS but had not received a response as of Friday afternoon.
West Charlotte principal Paula Cook sent an email to school families Friday afternoon.
“I want to share with you that Coach Greiner will no longer serve as the head football coach at West Charlotte High School,” Cook wrote in the email. “We appreciate his service to the student-athletes and to the (West Charlotte) community over the years.”
Cook said the school would begin the search for a replacement “who will uphold the values of West Charlotte High School and provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes.”
Reached by phone, Greiner — a longtime co-host of The Observer’s “Talking Preps” streaming show — said he could not comment.
Greiner has been the head coach at West Charlotte since the 2020 season. He took over a program that had been through nine coaches in 13 years. From 2007-19, West Charlotte had three winning seasons.
Greiner’s team just completed its fourth straight winning season and was ranked nationally for the second straight year.
About a year ago, Greiner led West Charlotte to the school’s first NCHSAA championship since 1995, and its second all-time.
Greiner also won a state championship in 2017 at Harding, a school that had not won a state championship in more than 50 years. He is one of seven NCHSAA coaches to win state championships at two different schools.
This week, Greiner’s team had six players sign Division I scholarships during the NCAA’s early signing period, and his 2026 team was expected to return at least 15 starters and again be a state championship favorite.
This is the second time in three years that Greiner has been embroiled in a CMS controversy.
In late July 2022, Greiner was suspended with pay for alleged recruiting violations and mistreatment of players, including not giving enough water breaks during practice. The allegations, The Observer reported at the time, came from at least one former coach, a booster and a school alumnus.
West Charlotte parents drew up a petition to try to get Greiner reinstated. It received more than 200 signatures. Former Lions parent Julie Vidal told The Observer than that Greiner was “like a second father” to the team. Other parents told The Observer the 2022 allegations were retaliatory in nature after Greiner had dismissed some assistant coaches from the program.
Greiner was reinstated by CMS about three weeks after his suspension started. Tomika Rivers, another former Lions parent, told The Observer she frequently attended the summer practices and saw frequent breaks and water breaks.
“I absolutely love Coach Greiner,” she said in 2022, “and I think he’s the greatest coach I’ve come across. He pushes them, but also shows them love and dedication.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM.