Virginia high school head football coach Travis Turner goes missing amid undefeated season amid criminal investigation linked to school.
Virginia authorities have sought to find a high school football coach who abruptly vanished last week during the middle of an undefeated season. The star football coach’s sudden disappearance comes amid an ongoing police investigation at the school where he coaches.
Travis L Turner, 46, of Appalachia, Wise County, Va., who serves as the head coach of Union High School is reported to have gone missing on Thursday.
Virginia state police had been en route to his home on Thursday as part of the investigation – only to learn he was not there. Authorities emphasized they were not arriving to arrest him, only to speak with him. When agents arrived, Turner was gone, Football Scoop reported.
Travis Turner Virginia football coach wanted for child p**n charges as he remains missing
Is head footaball coach’s disappearance linked to school employee placed on leave?
According to state police, Turner was last seen walking into the woods near his residence. His disappearance launched an immediate multi-agency search, focused primarily close to his home. Come Monday, Turner continued to remain unaccounted for.
Authorities had revealed few details about their investigation related to the school, except to say that agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Wytheville field office were in the early stages of a criminal investigation into a man from Wise County, where Turner is from, according to WJHL.
Meanwhile, Wise County school officials announced on Friday that an unidentified employee being placed on administrative leave as part of an ‘external investigation.’
Authorities declined to say whether the individual put on admin leave was connected to the missing coach, and if so, in what capacity.
The head coach’s disappearance has led to community members expressing concern for his well being and wishing his safe return along with incredulity that the ‘much beloved’ coach had suddenly disappeared.
Turner’s sudden disappearance came after he led Union to an undefeated season and the team ranked among the top in the state within their division.
Despite Turner’s mysterious disappearance, the Union football team was able to win Saturday’s game against Graham High School 12 – 0.
🚨 Missing Coach in Virginia | State police are searching for Union High football coach Travis Turner, last seen Thursday ahead of a playoff game. Authorities visited his home to investigate a criminal complaint, but Turner was gone. Multiple agencies and K-9 units are still… pic.twitter.com/pGUCuOXbyD
— Mills Hayes (@MillsHayesTV) November 24, 2025
Virginia community rallies for head football coach safe return
Turner was a high school football star himself, quarterbacking three state championship teams from 1994-97.
He has served as the head coach at Union since 2011 and was honored twice as the Southwest Virginia Coach of the Year.
Local residents continue to gather online and in person to share support, pray for the football great’s safe return, amid unsettling questions about his abrupt disappearance.
Turner is described as being over 6 feet tall and weighing about 260 lbs., according to authorities.
He has brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses.
If you have any information, you’re asked to call Virginia State Police at (540) 444-7788.
