Ohio State University women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff may be close to resolving a pending criminal case accusing him of driving under the influence.
According to online records from Dublin Mayor’s Court, McGuff, 55, is expected to change his plea during an Oct. 28 court appearance.
McGuff is charged with OVI, a first-degree misdemeanor, under Dublin city ordinance. His attorney previously entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Around 8 p.m. on May 6, Dublin police received a call from a driver following a Toyota Sequoia the caller described as driving recklessly, a police report says. The Sequoia hit several curbs and drove through a yard, according to the caller.
Ohio State University women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff speaks during Big Ten Women’s Basketball Media Days in Rosemont, illinois.
When officers arrived on Tara Hill Drive, they found McGuff in the driver’s seat of the Sequoia, which was parked partially in the driveway and partially in the front yard of his home.
Body camera footage provided by Dublin police shows McGuff taking more than two minutes to roll down the window of the Sequoia and McGuff failing field sobriety tests.
The footage shows McGuff having problems with reciting the alphabet from D to R after being given the instructions three times.
McGuff told officers he had not been drinking and was coming home from dinner at an area restaurant. When the officers asked McGuff what he had for dinner, McGuff was unable to answer, the footage shows.
An OVI charge has a maximum possible sentence of up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. First-time offenders are often given a three-day jail sentence or are required to complete a 72-hour education course instead.
McGuff has coached Ohio State’s women’s basketball team since 2013, leading the Buckeyes to a third-place Big Ten finish this past season. His current contract runs through the upcoming 2025-2026 season with a $675,000 base salary and total annual compensation of $1.05 million.
In August, the university announced McGuff had served a two-week suspension. That same month, McGuff made his first public comments about the arrest, admitting to making a “terrible mistake.” He said he underwent treatment at Wexner Medical Center over the summer.
McGuff’s court appearance is scheduled less than two weeks ahead of his team’s first game of the season. Ohio State opens the women’s basketball season on Nov. 9 at home against Coppin State.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff to enter plea in DUI case, records show
