Texas football coach suspended, denies ordering hit on referee

By Jon Herskovitz

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Texas high school football coach suspected of directing his players to blindside an official in a game told an investigative panel on Thursday that he did not order the hit, and was given a one-season suspension for his behavior on the sidelines.

John Jay High School secondary coach Mack Breed said he made comments that included profanities in anger about an official's call in the game last month while on the sidelines but that they were not directed at any players on his team. A few plays later, two players on the team ran over the official.

"If they were in that area and they heard that, maybe they took action on that," Breed told a panel from the governing body for school sports in Texas, the University Interscholastic League.

The panel suspended Breed from coaching for the rest of the 2015-16 football season for his outburst, saying it reflected poorly on his role in guiding young athletes, but added he deserved a second chance to coach.

A video clip of the game with Marble Falls High School that was viewed millions of times on YouTube shows two John Jay defensive backs lining up behind the official, with one running into him from behind and the other driving into him just after he was knocked down.

The two players were ejected from the game, which John Jay lost, 15-9. The video led to a national debate about violence on the playing field.

Breed, who has lost his job at the school, told the panel he wanted to clear his name. He said that after the game he told coaches he made angry comments on the sidelines about a call and felt some responsibility for the incident.

"I love coaching football in the state of Texas," Breed said. "As far as the cussing, that needs to stop."

Robert Watts, the official who was hit, refuted allegations made by John Jay player that he made racially charged comments toward them, telling the panel the accusations were 100 percent not true.

Brian Woods, superintendent of Northside Independent School District, which oversees John Jay, previously told the panel their initial investigation indicated Breed told the players to make some kind of contact with the official, or to "make him pay."

The panel also placed the head football coach of John Jay, Gary Gutierrez, on two years probation, for a failure to maintain discipline.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)