Newport interim athletic director Paul Baker confirmed Tuesday that Matt Schmitz has been rehired as head coach of the Wildcats program. Schmitz served as both head coach and athletic director at Newport before an arrest for marijuana possession prompted his dismissal from both roles in 2015.

 

In exchange for Schmitz’s plea, prosecutors dropped charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest. The judge also ordered Schmitz to undergo drug abuse treatment.

 

Former Newport head coach Schmitz rehired to guide struggling Wildcats football program | NKyTribune

 

Here is a recent thread on the subject:

 

http://bluegrasspreps.com/controversial-issues/rumored-newport-high-358885.html

 

Here is the original arrest thread:

 

http://bluegrasspreps.com/controversial-issues/newport-football-coach-304792.html

 

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Good decision by Newport or Bad decision by Newport?

 

On the Marijuana, use of Marijuana is prevalent and being decriminalized nation-wide so that one doesn't concern me much. The Public Intoxication charge is normally an add on charge so that one doesn't concern me much. However, the resisting arrest charge, even though it was dismissed, really concerns me. But, with all that said, Matt Schmitz paid his debt to society and I think he deserves another chance.

 

Answering my own questions I am going with a good decision by Newport.

 

What do you think?

Difficult to say whether it is good or bad, but it is a risky move.

I certainly think it’s a great hire. I don’t know what he looks like if he walks into my living room, but he had success. I don’t use the green but I am a supporter of legalizing it, so that doesn’t bother me. Resisting arrest is bigger than possession, but you’d hope he has learned his lesson.

 

I believe he will do a very good job

Will he be a teacher as well? Would they hire a teacher with a past possession record?

All for second chances. We have this ideology for some reason that people in the public eye, our leaders of young people at that, aren’t allowed to be anything less than perfect and that’s complete crap.

 

In this since he completely deserves a second chance, and he has paid the consequences. None of those charges bother me.

We've all - if we're being honest - have made horrendous mistakes in our lives that don't define who we are. I applaud the hire and wish Schmidtz and the Wildcats much success.

I've had some second hand interaction with the Schmidtz family over the past 4 years or so, and always got the impression they were good people. The folks in the Newport school district have known them well throughout everything that happened, and if they feel he deserves a 2nd chance so be it...

How can he have any credibility standing in front of teenagers telling them to do the right thing? Why should a kid listen to you when you didn’t feel the need to listen to lawful orders from the police. Resisting arrest is pretty serious, terrible hire.

How can he have any credibility standing in front of teenagers telling them to do the right thing? Why should a kid listen to you when you didn’t feel the need to listen to lawful orders from the police. Resisting arrest is pretty serious, terrible hire.

 

For some of the kids in tough situations at Newport he probably has more credibility then any other coach in the state. He can tell these kids that if you get your act together good things can happen no matter what happened in the past.

How can he have any credibility standing in front of teenagers telling them to do the right thing? Why should a kid listen to you when you didn’t feel the need to listen to lawful orders from the police. Resisting arrest is pretty serious, terrible hire.

 

I would think he would have plenty of credibility as a person who has made mistakes, paid for them, and is not trying to atone for them.

Anyone who knows the real story as to what happened that night knows that Matt got a raw deal to begin with. A lot more to it than what was said in the media.

 

Great hire and happy for Matt.

Interested to know who (and how many) applied. It may have been a small pool of candidates to start with. Not against the hire by any means.

Newport interim athletic director Paul Baker confirmed Tuesday that Matt Schmitz has been rehired as head coach of the Wildcats program. Schmitz served as both head coach and athletic director at Newport before an arrest for marijuana possession prompted his dismissal from both roles in 2015.

 

In exchange for Schmitz’s plea, prosecutors dropped charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest. The judge also ordered Schmitz to undergo drug abuse treatment.

 

Former Newport head coach Schmitz rehired to guide struggling Wildcats football program | NKyTribune

 

Here is a recent thread on the subject:

 

http://bluegrasspreps.com/controversial-issues/rumored-newport-high-358885.html

 

Here is the original arrest thread:

 

http://bluegrasspreps.com/controversial-issues/newport-football-coach-304792.html

 

===============

 

Good decision by Newport or Bad decision by Newport?

 

On the Marijuana, use of Marijuana is prevalent and being decriminalized nation-wide so that one doesn't concern me much. The Public Intoxication charge is normally an add on charge so that one doesn't concern me much. However, the resisting arrest charge, even though it was dismissed, really concerns me. But, with all that said, Matt Schmitz paid his debt to society and I think he deserves another chance.

 

Answering my own questions I am going with a good decision by Newport.

 

What do you think?

 

As mentioned before in a previous thread. I think most already assumed he would be the coach again after they brought him back into the school system last year.

Heard this was likely going to be the hire a couple weeks ago....got mixed feelings about it.

 

This is a wait and see for me...

How can he have any credibility standing in front of teenagers telling them to do the right thing? Why should a kid listen to you when you didn’t feel the need to listen to lawful orders from the police. Resisting arrest is pretty serious, terrible hire.

 

Let me be the first to welcome you to BGP. I look forward to more of your posts!