Friday, April 30, 2010

Welsh suspended after DWI arrest

Tim Welsh, hired 29 days ago as the 11th head men's basketball coach in Hofstra history, has been suspended without pay after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated this morning in Levittown.

According to media reports, a police officer found Welsh sleeping behind the wheel at a green light on Hempstead Turnpike. "He had bloodshot eyes, slurring of speech and was unsteady on his feet," Nassau County police spokesman Kevin Smith told the New York Post.

Welsh had a blood alcohol level of 0.18, more than twice the legal limit in New York state. Newsday reports Welsh's Rhode Island driver's license was suspended and that bond was set at $2,000.

He was arraigned in Hempstead today and pleaded not guilty.

Should Welsh be convicted of the charges against him, the maximum penalty, according to this document from New York state, is a year in prison and a one-year revocation of his license.

Per multiple media outlets, including Mike Litos at CAA Hoops and Adam Zagoria's Zags Blog, Hofstra released a statement saying, in part: "We have learned through media reports of the charges against Mr. Welsh. Effective immediately, he has been suspended without pay, while the University investigates the charges against him."

Zagoria also points out there is no one officially on staff, since Hofstra has yet to announce the hirings of Steve DeMeo, Allen Griffin and Mo Cassara.

It's a sad, disappointing day for Hofstra basketball, one that will have repercussions in the weeks and months to come. Follow us on Twitter for more information as this develops.

Links to coverage:

Newsday (pay wall)





Email Jerry at defiantlydutch@yahoo.com or follow Defiantly Dutch at http://twitter.com/defiantlydutch.

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