Basketball coach to take alcohol classes
After being arrested Wednesday in Kansas on suspicion of drunken driving, women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie coached his team at the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia.

By Erin Baethge
Staff Reporter

Women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie has been officially reprimanded by TCU for his arrest early Wednesday on suspicion of drunken driving in Kansas, according to a statement released last week by the athletic media relations department.

Mittie, 37, will not be terminated or suspended, but he will be required to attend various alcohol classes, including a state-approved alcohol-awareness education program and an alcohol victims impact panel presentation, according to the statement.

“I sincerely apologize to our fans, the community, the university, my team and my family, and I regret the distraction that this incident has created,” Mittie said in a issued statement last week. “I am truly sorry for the embarrassment it has caused for everyone involved.”

The fifth-year coach was on his way to Wichita, Kan., for a flight to Fort Worth after recruiting at the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament in Salina, Kan., when he was arrested, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Saturday.

Mittie was pulled over in Newton, Kan., while driving south on Interstate 135 after a police officer reported suspecting Mittie of drunken driving at 3:22 a.m. Wednesday, said Marcy Jacobs, the secretary of Newton Police Department who was referring to the police report.

According to the Star-Telegram, Mittie was arrested at 3:50 a.m. after taking a field sobriety test, and was released at 10:10 a.m. Wednesday from the Harvey County Detention Center on a $1,000 bond.

The investigation was sent to the Newton Municipal Court Monday, but will not be reviewed by City Prosecutor David Yoder until Thursday. Mittie has not been charged, said Amy Raprager, Yoder’s Çlerk.

“Nothing has been decided,” she said.

According to the athletic media relations statement, Mittie must also agree to an alcohol evaluation by a licensed professional, seek treatment if it is recommended by the licensed professional and perform some type of community service in which he can share his experience with others.

Mittie must also pay a fine, but the amount will not be released because of university policy, according to the statement.

The coach was not suspended because his professional conduct and personal conduct were deemed exemplary before his arrest, according to the statement.

Matt Freed, associate director of the athletic media relations department, declined Monday to comment on why the university issued the reprimands.

Freed said he didn’t know when Mittie’s alcohol classes will begin.

TCU forward Sandora Irvin, a junior marketing major, declined to comment on how this incident has affected the team.

Athletics director Eric Hyman and Mittie could not be reached for comment.