Nebraska WR Coach Suspended 4 Games Following Arrest after Traffic Accident
Nebraska wide receivers coach Keith Williams has been suspended without pay until Aug. 31 and will miss the Cornhuskers' first four games after his arrest early Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence and careless driving. Lincoln police officers responding to Sunday's accident found records of two previous DUI convictions for Williams in 2004 and 2009.
Nebraska coach Mike Riley said in a statement released Friday that Williams has started counseling and will assist the university in education and outreach about drunken-driving prevention.Williams, 45, is in his second season at Nebraska, where he has built a reputation as a top recruiter. He will not be allowed to coach or attend the Huskers' games against Fresno State, Oregon, Wyoming and Northwestern.
Could be the successor to Riley at Nebraska. Hopefully for his sake and the student-athletes he gets his life together.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:24 AM ^
They still keep him after 2 DUIs? I realize that football is important in Nebraska but at some point you'd think it hurts the school's mission to have somebody who doesn't care about following the law.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
I'm sorry but this man should not be in coaching right now. Clearly there is a significant problem he's dealing with.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:34 AM ^
He is in a world of hurt when it comes to insurance. You certainly lose credibility with your players too.
August 19th, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^
since his license will be revoked for some significant period of time. also, a 3rd DUI is a felony in most places, maybe even nebraska.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^
Andy Moeller got a lot of chances on this front as well.
August 19th, 2016 at 4:01 PM ^
Yes, but does anyone think he should have?
August 19th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
Except that DUI means a .08 BAC in Nebraska which I find to be quite low. A DUI is not a DWI and having a couple beers in an hour does not make the average man dangerous on the road.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:43 AM ^
Gotcha. The lawmakers of all 50 states are wrong and should have consulted you prior to setting the legal limits.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:46 AM ^
So his careless driving was just a coincidence, then? Two other events, just bad luck, right?
What hogwash.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:09 PM ^
Not used nearly often enough in polite conversation.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:49 AM ^
is no functional difference at all between a DUI(OUIL) and a DWI(Impaired). Nearly every state has two different charges and they exist basically for the sole purpose of expediting the process by way of plea. An alcohol offense is an alcohol offense. They all screw you in almost exactly the same way regardless of what they are called in different states and for different BAC levels.
In the absence of a DUI sting, if you are pulled over for drinking and driving it is not a coincidence, your drinking was having an effect on your driving(whether you realized it or not) and that is why you got pulled over.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:53 AM ^
In this case I believe there is a difference, because one is a felony and one is a misdemeanor. The former with a higher penalty, right?
August 19th, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^
think that is true. I think that the felony/misdemeanor distinction has only to do with the number of alcohol offenses a person has. In nearly every state, DUI 3rd and Impaired 3rd or any combination of the two is a felony.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
Oh, this article says they are different based on BAC, rather than # of offenses. Could be some nuance or details I am missing though.
https://www.landof10.com/nebraska/nebraska-wr-coach-keith-williams-plea…
August 19th, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^
may be right. I did not read the article. There is a "Super DUI" that is a felony in some states but not at .15.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:21 PM ^
In Utah, the 3rd and subsequent DUI conviction is a felony, though Nebraska may be different. Generally .08 is the national standard and I understand he was at .15. If this is true, he's lucky he didn't hurt some one because most people at that level REALLY fail their SFST's (standardised field sobriety tests).
August 19th, 2016 at 11:46 AM ^
Also, a DUI and a DWI are synonymous in most cases involving alcohol.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:53 AM ^
Well, he actually rear-ended another car, so that lends credibility to the assertion that he was impaired.
He registered a 0.15 BAC at the time. Who knows if that is accurate, but I think we can all agree the only thing he blew was his reputation with this one.
https://www.landof10.com/nebraska/nebraska-wr-coach-keith-williams-plea…
August 19th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
.15 is drunk, not a "couple of beers." Granted, it may not be stumbling over/grabbing ass/eating Taco Bell drunk but it is drunk nonetheless.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:56 PM ^
Do I have to be drunk to eat Taco Bell?
I love me some crunch wraps.
August 19th, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
you don't have to be drunk to eat Taco Bell but you eat Taco Bell every time you are drunk.
August 19th, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^
and blew a .18. I was HAMMERED drunk and should not have been on the road. I was in my early 20's, so my tolerance was quite high, as well.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:51 AM ^
The .08 legal limit should have been easy for him to remember, considering it's the same as the minimun GPA needed to play football at Nebraska.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^
The N on their helmets stands for "nowledge."
August 19th, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^
3 DUIs total now.
I sincerely doubt that he doesn't care about following the law. If he can get the help he needs and turn it around, he can be a great help to the program.
One month's suspension without pay is a stiff penalty, but not as bad as having to rebuild your respect amongst your peers and the kids you coach.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
It's always a little tough to evaluate from the outside. I felt like Minick probably deserved harsher punishment (and maybe even firing) after his DUI, but who knows what the circumstances & character of the coach are.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
Good luck to him. Addiction is a tough battle.
August 19th, 2016 at 4:41 PM ^
Hopefully he will get some help soon before he puts more than his job in jeopardy.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^
Does anyone honestly think Mike Riley is going to be at Nebraska still in 4 years?
They fired Pelini for going 9-3 every year and made a bowl last year just because their players have good grades.
Anyways, good thing no one was hurt.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:48 AM ^
No. The idea of "possible successor" seems silly. There's no sign yet that there will be anything in this regime that Nebraska will want to continue with after Riley is gone.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^
Earl Bruce after 5 consecutive 9-3 seasons. I don't see Riley with a nine win average over several years.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
It seems to apply to student-athletes, so why should we not hold their coaches and mentors to at least that standard?
Drunk driving is no freaking joke. You could maybe justify this punishment after the first incident. But after the 3rd? It's appalling and he should be out of a job, especially in a position where he has a profound influence on the younger generation.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:36 AM ^
Couldn't agree more. How can one expect to mold future men and contributors to society if this is the example? He needs help, and doesn't need to spend the rest of his life in jail, but he shouldn't be in coaching.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:37 AM ^
If he's 45 now, that means he was arrested when he was probably 33 and 38. And there's no way he's unlucky and the only three times he's driven drunk were the times he was caught. For sure there have been plenty of instances when he got away with it between 2004 and 2016 (and presumably pre-dating 2004 as well.)
The only lesson he can teach players is how NOT to learn from one's mistakes. I'd be very disappointed if Michigan kept him on staff were he a coach here. Very disappointed.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^
It's his first "strike" while at Nebraska.
August 19th, 2016 at 1:01 PM ^
Sorry, but you don't get to just hit the "reset" buttom when it's happened twice before and with something as serious as drunk driving. It's a pattern. Nebraska isn't doing him any favors by giving him multiple chances.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^
I doubt after this he could realistically be Riley's replacement. Maybe if Riley stays on for Ferentz years and the guy doesn't have another DUI. But I don't see Riley staying on long enough for time to heal things up for Williams. Particularly since it's his third. No guarantee that in another 5 years he gets another. Seems to be a pattern at this point. Even if he had a chance before, I think he just severely diminished his chances of moving up. Glad no one was physically hurt in this, but Williams really hurt himself here in his future with the sport.
August 19th, 2016 at 3:06 PM ^
Wherever that is, that takes some serious dedication to be that upset....or drunk.....or both even. Growing up in Saline, I can recall a few people doing that, but I don't think it was ever quite so....statement-oriented, if you will.
August 19th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^
Well done.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:38 AM ^
Not sure about Nebraska, but a third OWI is a felony charge in Michigan.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:53 AM ^
Within a certain time frame and do previous convictions from other states still apply?
(asking for a friend)
August 19th, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^
Good question. I haven't had that particular issue, but I have seen prosecutors miss a OWI conviction on a record here and there.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
to Nebraska yet?
August 19th, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^
The smartphone hasn't made it to Nebraska yet.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:08 PM ^
Has the phone even made it out there? Honestly, those guys might still be receiving their correspondence via the Pony Express.
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August 19th, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^
Tough break for them. They may only win 6 games now instead of 7.
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August 19th, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^
If a player got 3 DUI's would he only be suspended 4 games? This is a joke. The guy needs to go jail, and then he needs to go to rehab. Can't get the help he needs if he's going to be back on the sidelines in a few weeks. Shame on Mike Riley.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^
He may go to jail. I'd be shocked if a 3rd DUI didn't equal jail time.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:03 PM ^
Isn't this the same Mike Riley that brushed a rape story under the rug at Nebraska and then felt guilty about it so he invited the woman to the Nebraska practice facilities? It was something along those lines.
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