An investigation has concluded that Lindbergh wrestling coach Joe Popich gave vitamin supplements to a number of wrestlers in the 2008-2009 season.

Popich is on administrative leave from his coaching job.

Randy Matheson, Renton School District spokesman, said the fact the pills were vitamin supplements, and not something more serious, has no bearing on the punishment that will be handed out.

“The policy is clear that you don’t give anything to students,” he said. “What he gave to the students is not as important as the particulars of why he did it and how many students were involved. Those are the elements of the investigation that will dictate consequences.”

The investigation also found that Popich did not give any supplements to students this season and that none of the students actually ingested the vitamins last year.

“It’s a bit of a moot point,” Matheson said. “The fact that we’ve got an employee who gave vitamin supplements to students falls outside of our procedures. Mr. Popich is aware that he stepped out of bounds.”

Matheson said human resources should have a decision about the punishment for Popich sometime Friday afternoon or Monday at the latest.

“What’s holding the process up isn’t deeper investigation,” he said. Human resources staff, he said, need time “to follow through and make a good decision on this. … If we’re going to make a decision about someone’s employment, we’re going to do it carefully.”

In the meantime, coach Kyle Tokita is acting as head coach while Popich remains on administrative leave. Popich will not be able to coach the team for at least the rest of the season.

Popich is still under instructions from the school district to not yet comment on the investigation.

Matheson added that in the course of the investigation, the school discovered support for Popich from parents and wrestlers is high.

“With his track record and the number of students who have joined the team while he’s been here, he’s a good coach, he’s a fair man, he just had a lapse in judgment,” Matheson said.

Ray Garcia declined an invitation to come in and talk to school administrators about the investigation, then later changed his mind and said he may come in.

Garcia is the parent of three Lindbergh wrestlers who first made the vitamin claims public after his son John Paul Garcia was kicked out of a Jan. 18 practice and his other sons, Mark and Luke followed in support. He also was the Lindbergh wrestling coach from 2003 to 2007.

Matheson said the Jan. 18 incident was not out of ordinary and no wrong-doing occurred.

“We’d really like for him (Garcia) to have his boys get back on the team at some point,” Matheson said. “We certainly wouldn’t want his kids to suffer from not being on the team.”

Mark and Luke were placers at the 3A state wrestling meet last season as freshmen. The two were ranked among 3A’s best at their weight classes before leaving the team this season.

This article was corrected to state that Popich will not be able to coach the team again this season.