By Mollee Francisco

First-year Chaska High School coach Phil Link has resigned his position amid allegations of financial wrong-doing.

According to a search warrant filed by Chaska Police in Carver County Court, the district alleges that between June 14 and Dec. 15, 2009, Link, head football coach and administrative dean, “made claims for reimbursement to the school district for costs he did not incur and were eventually paid for by another party that did not know he already had received compensation for those costs.”

The financial scope of the allegations is currently unclear. According to details in the search warrant, alleged financial improprieties appear to pertain to a summer football program.

According to the Jan. 14 school board packet, Link is resigning his position as head football coach and administrative dean effective Jan. 29. Link did not return two calls from the Herald for comment.

Chaska Police Chief Scott Knight said he could not comment on the case, but would “confirm we have an open investigation.” No charges have yet been filed against Link. At this time, the Carver County Attorney’s Office has no comment.

Nancy Kracke, director of communications and staff relations for District 112, acknowledged that the district had received Link’s resignation. “There were concerns brought to our attention about Coach Link,” she said.

Kracke noted that Link was put on paid administrative leave while the district conducted an investigation, though she could not say when that occurred. “Our investigation is over,” she said. “And he has resigned.”

Kracke said that until the school board takes action, the details of the investigation are “still a personnel issue” that she was not able to comment further on.

Although no charges have been filed yet against Link, a search warrant executed on Dec. 23 resulted in the confiscation of Link’s bank account records at Community Bank Chaska.

The search warrant indicates that on Dec. 3, James O’Connell, director of Administrative Services, told police he believed Link made claims for reimbursement through District 112 Community Education for expenses he did not pay for, and that had already been billed to the Chaska Touchdown Club football booster organization.

Reimbursement claims centered on expenses submitted for a summer football camp coached by Link. The search warrant alleges that Link requested reimbursement from both Community Education and the Chaska Touchdown Club.

The warrant also implies that Link did not pay assistant coaches their full salaries for the camp, stating that Link insisted on receiving the coaches’ salaries for the camp and distributing them himself. In one example, the search warrant stated that Link told Community Education Coordinator Susan Harberts that he planned to pay assistant coach Rodney Melton $1,000. Melton later said he was paid only $800.

Other coaches allegedly reported the same thing. According to the search warrant, $4,200 was given to Link for coaches’ salaries, but only $3,450 was paid out.

The warrant stated that Link allegedly believed the Touchdown Club would cover his expenses and he would keep the money given to him by Community Education as “assistance while he transitioned to his new job as football coach and dean.”

Link said he “needed the money because the school district had not paid him until September,” but according to the warrant, school district records show that Link received his first paycheck on July 15.

Link was hired as head football coach for the high school in May after stints at Fergus Falls High School and in North Branch. He was a two-time finalist for Teacher of the Year in Fergus Falls and was named the Nike Football Coach of the year in 2002.

Under Link, the Hawk football team posted a 3-6 record in 2009, finishing with a 28-14 loss to Minnetonka in the Section 6-5A quarterfinals.

At the time of his hiring, Chaska High School Athletic Director Troy Stein said, “Phil completely impressed and inspired us with his enthusiasm and passion for coaching football. Phil comes with a strong football background and will serve as an outstanding leader of our football program.

“Phil exemplifies the leadership, knowledge and dedication we strive for in our football program, Chaska High School and the community of Chaska,” he said.

Link has patrolled the sidelines as a high school football coach for more than 20 seasons, since completing an All-American football playing career at Olivet University in Illinois.

He began as an assistant football coach at Kankakee High School in Kankakee, Ill., and was the head football coach at Underwood High School from 1989-98.

In 1999, Link was hired as the head football coach at Fergus Falls High School, and also served an assistant for the Minnesota State Community and Technical College football team in Fergus Falls.

Link was hired to coach the North Branch High School team in June, 2008 and led the Vikings to a 1-8 season.

School budget constraints cut Link's physical education teaching position at the school in April, 2009.

North Branch football players, parents and fans took a liking to Link. An online petition was created to lobby the North Branch school board to keep Link on as coach, and consider him for the then-vacant athletic director position. More than 700 signatures were attached to the effort.

Tim McGovern contributed to this article.