POCATELLO — The end of an era has arrived at Highland High School.
Gino Mariani has resigned as the Rams’ football coach, he confirmed to the Idaho State Journal Thursday afternoon, ending a tenure that spanned more than two decades. In that stretch, Mariani captured four state championships and established Highland’s football program as one of the state’s best.
At Highland, Mariani coached players who went on to join the NFL, namely Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints and Tommy Togiai of the Cleveland Browns.
The Journal named Mariani all-area coach of the year several times, including in 2017 and 2018, and this spring the Idaho State Coaches Association named him its football coach of the year.
Highland Athletic Director Travis Bell also confirmed to the Journal that Mariani turned in a letter of resignation. Bell didn’t respond to a request from the Journal for comment on Mariani’s decision to leave Highland.
Last season, Highland fell to Rigby in the 5A state championship game. The Rams finished 10-3 on the season.
Mariani said he will make a statement about his departure from Highland at a later date.
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