COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio State women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon after he was charged with OVI last week.
He did not show up, but his attorney pleaded not guilty on McGuff’s behalf.
According to a Dublin police report and body-worn camera video, another driver reported a Toyota Sequoia driving recklessly in the area of Tara Hill Drive, striking several curbs and driving through a lawn shortly before 8 p.m. on May 6.
Police said they found McGuff in the vehicle parked partially off his driveway and into his lawn. He initially told police he was “coming from here to here,” and he was unable to open the driver door or window for over two minutes, according to the report.
After McGuff said he was unsure where he’d been, an officer again asked about his whereabouts that night. After about 13 seconds, McGuff said he’d eaten dinner at J. Liu, but he didn’t have anything to drink, the report said. McGuff also told police he’d not taken nor had he been prescribed any medications.
According to the report, McGuff strongly smelled like an alcoholic beverage once he exited the vehicle, and he performed poorly during both in-car and field-sobriety tests, failing to follow an officer’s instructions.
During one test, an officer asked McGuff three times to recite the alphabet from D to R, but he couldn’t recite any letters other than D. He refused a breathalyzer test, police said, resulting in an immediate license suspension.
Police seized his license, and his wife picked him up later at the Dublin Police Department.
OSU spokeswoman Maria Slovikovski told ABC 6/FOX 28 the university was aware of the incident.
“The department is in communication with Coach McGuff and monitoring the situation closely,” she said in a written statement. “This is an ongoing, personal, legal matter, and the department will share additional information at the appropriate time.”
McGuff’s license was initially suspended, but a temporary stay was ordered Tuesday, so he still has driving privileges.
The OVI charge is a first-degree misdemeanor and punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.
