Montana State Coach Arrested

[WYOBISONMAN]

This is terrible.......

Montana State assistant arrested on suspicion of selling meth

September 13, 2003

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) -- Montana State assistant head football coach Joe O'Brien was arrested Friday on methamphetamine charges, authorities said.

The school suspended him with pay.

O'Brien, 30, was jailed in Broadwater County on one count of possessing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, both felonies, Detective Matt Collar of the Missouri River Drug Task Force told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Calls from The Associated Press to the county district attorney Friday night were not returned.

``We will be suspending Joe O'Brien with pay pending the results of a further investigation,'' Cathy Conover, director of university relations, said in a statement released hours after O'Brien's arrest.

She said that is in line with school policy for all employees charged with a felony, and added the school would launch an internal investigation if necessary.

Neither head football coach Mike Kramer nor athletic director Peter Fields were available to comment on the arrest Friday.

Bail has not been set in the case, and O'Brien may remain in jail through the weekend until a judge is available.

Collar said O'Brien ``was arrested during a controlled delivery of methamphetamine.''

The amount of meth O'Brien had and other circumstances surrounding the arrest were unavailable.

Montana State's football team has the weekend off.

O'Brien was promoted to assistant head football coach this year, after three successful seasons as a defensive line coach.

O'Brien was an All-America defensive lineman at Boise State in 1994 when he was voted the Big Sky Conference defensive player of the year.

Last year, Montana State removed redshirt freshman running back Shem Hardnette from the football team after he was arrested in September on a felony possession of marijuana charge.

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Nice example to set for the college students he is paid to influence. This makes me absolutely sick. Lock this piece of s&!t up and throw away the key.