Head football coach John Stigelmeier was arrested for driving under the influence Jan. 27.
He admits to driving under the influence and was stopped while driving from home about 11:30 p.m., going out to get food after working on his taxes all day. He said he hadn’t eaten all day and had some wine before leaving the house, reports the Brookings Register.
The arrest has not affected his employment status, and both his players and employers are aware of the arrest, he said.
He has a court appearance scheduled for March 6.
He released a statement to the Brookings Register:
“First and foremost, I made a terrible mistake. The decision I made is not who I have been, who I am or who I will be moving forward.I apologize to my family, President Dunn, Athletic Director Sell, my entire staff, and the entire SDSU football family present and past. I also want to apologize to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, an organization that has impacted me and I have attempted to serve when called upon. I obviously can’t control individuals’ judgements, but the poor decision I made reflects only on me and not our staff or football team. I know through my faith, that I am forgiven. I will work as hard as ever, to regain the trust and belief I may have lost.”
SDSU Athletic Director Justin Sell offered a statement Wednesday as well.
“This certainly is an incident that does not reflect the values of our program and is out of character for Coach Stiegelmeier,” Sell said. “He has led our football program with integrity and class throughout his career, and I know he will use this incident as a teachable moment for the numerous young men he has mentored. I am fully behind him as he goes through this difficult time.”
President Barry Dunn said Stiegelmeier contacted him shortly after the arrest and the two met the following day.
“I expressed my disappointment during that meeting and John takes full responsibility for his actions,” Dunn said. “He understands the magnitude of what happened, the potential impact it could have had and the disappointment this brings to himself and the university as a leader of young people.”
Despite Dunn’s disappointment, he still welcomes “his continued service as our head football coach.”
“He will use this experience to educate others and inspire many more young men in his role as head coach about making the right decisions in life,” Dunn said.
