Texas prep football coach denies ordering hit on referees

John Jay High School assistant football coach Mack Breed testified Thursday in front of an investigative panel, defending himself against reports that he ordered the hit on a referee last month that resulted in the suspension of two student-athletes.

Breed was given a one-year suspension by the University Interscholastic League, but he continues to insist he never told players to attack the referee. ESPN’s Outside The Lines reported in September that it obtained documents showing that Breed admitted to the principal he ordered the hit.

Video of the incident can be found here. The two players involved in the attack were suspended and cannot return to the high school until the spring semester. It’s unclear whether one of the players — the other is a senior — will be allowed to play football.

From Reuters:

Breed said he made comments that included profanities in anger about an official’s call in the game last month while on the sidelines but that they were not directed at any players on his team. A few plays later, two players on the team ran over the official.

“If they were in that area and they heard that, maybe they took action on that,” Breed told a panel from the governing body for school sports in Texas, the University Interscholastic League.

…

Breed, who has lost his job at the school, told the panel he wanted to clear his name. He said that after the game he told coaches he made angry comments on the sidelines about a call and felt some responsibility for the incident.

“I love coaching football in the state of Texas,” Breed said. “As far as the cussing, that needs to stop.”

In addition to the one-year suspension, Breed was put on probation for two years.

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