Poway High School wrestling coach John Meyers, who took over one of the most successful programs in the country and has kept it at a nationally elite level, is on a leave of absence, according to the Poway Unified School District.
The reasons behind the leave of absence were not immediately available.
“While we always desire to maintain transparency,” district spokesman Mark Saunders wrote, “we are unable to share details on any personnel-related issues.”
Meyers is an on-campus teacher at Poway, working as a resource specialist. He took over the school’s wrestling program from Hall of Fame coach Wayne Branstetter in 2018. Meyers’ team won San Diego Section Masters champions every year from 2019 to 2025, continuing a tradition of success that began in 1982. Poway has won 44 consecutive CIF San Diego Section titles.
It’s unclear whether Meyers’ absence might affect Poway’s 2026-27 season. High school wrestling is a winter sport, with practices not scheduled to begin until November.
Poway has sent wrestlers to top college programs such as Stanford, Cornell, Army, Navy, Air Force, North Carolina, Cal Poly and more. The Titans’ $1 million on-campus wrestling facility is an Olympic Regional Training Center.