UPDATE: Max Miller Comes Out Of Retirement To Coach Rio Americano

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Hall of Fame high school coach Max Miller is coming out of retirement to take over at Rio Americano after the school fired its coach Tuesday.

Principal Brian Ginter told CBS13 that Miller will coach the team the rest of the season after Christian Mahaffey was fired following a dispute with his senior players.

Miller started his coaching career at Rio before going on to Cordova, Hiram Johnson and then a second turn at Cordova. He has won more the 250 games and will be inducted into the Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame on Oct. 14 during a ceremony at Power Balance Pavilion.

Mahaffey was removed as head coach after Ginter informed him he was reinstating 11 seniors who quit under protest when Mahaffey refused to let fellow senior Guillermo Salazar miss a game later this month to attend a baseball showcase event in Arizona.

Mahaffey spoke to CBS13 on Wednesday and stood by his decision.

"It's time for all this to die down," he said. "With me it's cut and dry. I just believe if you're committed to a sport during season you stay committed to the sport."

He tells CBS13 the firing was a surprise, and calls it a bad move. However, he'll continue teaching special education in the San Juan district and hopes to coach again someday.

In the meantime, "I'll be rooting for my Rio Americano kids," he said.

CBS13 spoke to Mahaffey after Max Miller was named head coach. He said he supports the decision and adds Miller even called for his blessing before taking the head coach position.

Miller was running the Raiders' practice Wednesday, and his grandson John Miller plays for the team.

Rio Americano plays at Cordova on Friday.