(STATS) – South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier has issued an apology following his DUI arrest in late January.
A Brookings (S.D.) Register report said Stiegelmeier was arrested Jan. 27 in Brookings. He has a court appearance scheduled for March 6.
Stiegelmeier, who turned 61 on Feb. 7, admitted to driving under the influence when he was stopped while driving from home about 11:30 p.m. A court document said the responding officer found Stiegelmeier’s car stuck in a ditch. The coach told the officer he was out to get food.
In a written statement to the Register, Stiegelmeier said, “First and foremost, I made a terrible mistake. The decision I made is not who I have been, who I am or who I will be moving forward.
“I apologize to my family, President (Barry) Dunn, Athletic Director (Justin) Sell, my entire staff, and the entire SDSU football family present and past. I also want to apologize to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, an organization that has impacted me and I have attempted to serve when called upon.
“I obviously can’t control individuals’ judgements, but the poor decision I made reflects only on me and not our staff or football team.
“I know through my faith, that I am forgiven. I will work as hard as ever, to regain the trust and belief I may have lost.”
Dunn and Sell expressed support of Stiegelmeier to the newspaper.
Stiegelmeier is the winningest football coach in school history, with a 148-97 record in 21 seasons. Last year’s team made its seventh FCS playoff appearance since 2009 and reached the semifinals for the first time.
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