COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri suspended coach Gary Pinkel without pay for the final home game of the season Thursday and froze his salary for a year following his overnight arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.
Athletic director Mike Alden said Pinkel will miss Saturday’s game against Texas Tech, and the coach will donate a week’s worth of his base salary and guaranteed incentives — approximately $41,000 — to a campus alcohol-awareness program when he returns.
The disciplinary measures include a total of approximately $306,000 in penalties and 50 hours of community service by next summer. If Missouri (5-5) makes it to a bowl game, Pinkel won’t get the $75,000 bonus his contract stipulates. He forfeits a $100,000 annual payment for meeting certain team academic and social goals. And he loses an automatic $50,000 raise at the end of the year.
“Gary is someone with tremendous character and integrity,” Alden said. “He’s built something pretty special here at Mizzou over the course of the last 11 years. We do not want one incident certainly to tear down what’s taken place. However, this absolutely goes against everything we stand for and everything that he teaches his players in regard to their social responsibilities.”
Boone County Sheriff’s Office records show deputies pulled Pinkel over in Columbia and jailed him Wednesday night on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He was released from the county jail after posting a $500 bond. The sheriff’s department said the incident is Pinkel’s first offense.
Pinkel issued two written statements Thursday. In the first, Pinkel said he “accept(s) full responsibility for my actions and will abide by whatever course of action our leadership deems appropriate.” In the second statement, Pinkel said, “I recognize that I’ve let everyone down and fully accept the terms of this suspension.”
Montana to start for Huskies
SEATTLE — Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said redshirt freshman Nick Montana will make his first career start Saturday when the Huskies play at Oregon State.
Montana — son of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana — replaces Keith Price, who aggravated a knee injury in last week’s loss to USC.
Montana is 13-of-20 for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the season.
Footnotes.
Washington State starting quarterback Jeff Tuel is likely done for the season because of a collarbone injury. Connor Halliday is scheduled to start Saturday against Utah.
• Illinois wide receiver Kenny Knight pleaded not guilty to charges of battery and resisting a police officer after being arrested for his involvement in a fight Saturday night. Knight, who has been suspended from the team, is next scheduled to appear in court Dec. 22.
