Nov 16, 2007 12:30 pm US/Central
High School Coach Fired After DUI Arrest
ELGIN, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
Elgin High School boys basketball coach Rob Brault was fired
after his arrest Tuesday afternoon on charges including driving under
the influence following a minor accident near Elgin High School.
Brault
was charged with DUI and failure to reduce speed about 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday near Maroon Drive and South Shales Parkway, according to an
Elgin police report. Police said Brault's vehicle rear-ended another
vehicle.
A source told The Courier News that Brault had taken a
personal day Tuesday and was not teaching. Reached by telephone
Thursday, Brault declined comment. He was not in school Thursday, but
was still employed as a social studies teacher.
The team was
informed Wednesday by EHS Athletic Director Art Rohlman that Brault
would no longer be the coach and that varsity assistant Mike Sitter
would take the position.
Sitter, 36, is in his seventh season
with the Maroons program. "Nothing has changed. I know it's not an
ideal situation, but we're going to make the best of it," said Sitter.
"It's not the situation we wanted it to be. Rob is a dear friend."
Sitter said Thursday that he had yet to speak with Brault.
Brault
told EHS Principal Dave Smiley and Rohlman on Wednesday morning about
the accident and the charges pending against him and he was then
removed as coach. The Maroons are scheduled to open their season Monday
against the host team at the Buffalo Grove Tournament.
"It's
pretty disappointing," said senior guard Armani Williams, a four-year
varsity performer. "But we've got to keep looking forward. We have no
control over this. All we can do is focus on the game."
Brault
went 54-79 in four-plus seasons at the Maroons helm. He was named
interim coach in 2002 when Dave Gilliland resigned after six games that
season. Brault led the Maroons to his only winning campaign last
season, finishing 17-12, and most of those players return.
Saying it was a personnel issue, Smiley declined to comment on Brault or if a process was under way to remove him as a teacher.
Brault
began his employment with Elgin School District U46 in 1996. His
driving record includes a 2005 charge of reckless driving, according to
a spokesperson in the Secretary of State's office.
"These kids are resilient," said Smiley. "And they will represent us well."
cbs2chicago.com's Most Popular Pages
Slideshow: The Search For Stacy Peterson
Slideshow: People's Sexiest Men Alive
Slideshow: '90s TV Stars Then & Now
Slideshow: World's Most Bizarre Deaths
Slideshow: In To Be Out: Gay Celebrities
Slideshow: Did You Know? Stars From Chicago!
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
