re: New VOLS OL coach Walt Wells arrested for DUI shortly after NSD party

New Tennessee OL coach Walt Wells charged with DUI in 2016

quote:

---

He pleaded guilty to reckless driving six months later

Newly named University of Tennessee offensive line coach Walt Wells was charged with driving under the influence in Knoxville a year ago but pleaded guilty to reckless driving six months later, according to court records.

Wells, 49, joined the Vols in the spring of 2016 as an offensive quality control assistant. He was promoted to offensive line coach on Tuesday and agreed to a two-year contract at $300,000 annually.

"We were aware of the incident immediately," UT spokesman Ryan Robinson said in a statement emailed to the News Sentinel on Friday. "He was suspended for two weeks without pay and ordered to attend alcohol counseling. He fulfilled all the obligations set forth. We monitored his behavior throughout the past year and considered all that information before hiring him as offensive line coach."

James Walter Wells was stopped at 12:32 a.m. on Feb. 4 by a Knoxville police officer on Kingsridge Drive in West Knoxville. Officer Matt Lawson stopped the vehicle for failing to dim its headlights, according to court records. Lawson said Wells seemed "lethargic and was fumbling with his words."

Wells told the officer he was coming from a friend's house and going to Alcoa Highway. Lawson wrote in the report that "he was going down Kingston spike instead of pike" and when asked if he anything to drink, Wells "stated he had about three bars instead of beers."

Lawson had Wells exit his vehicle and perform field sobriety tests "in which he performed poorly on" and was arrested. He refused a blood-alcohol test and was transported without incident.

Lawson added in his report that "a citation was not issued because the person is intoxicated and a danger to himself."

Bail was set at $1,000. Wells was listed under a Alvaton, Ky., address.

It was noted in the report that it was Wells' first offense.

Tennessee held a signing day celebration at the Tennessee Theatre the night before the incident. It's not clear if Wells was in attendance.

Wells pleaded guilty to reckless driving in Knox County General Sessions Court on Aug. 25, a week before the season opener against Appalachian State. The DUI charge was dismissed.

He was fined $50 and along with court costs totaled $507.25. Wells was sentenced to the Knox County Detention Facility for six months, but it was suspended for time served during the incident. He was additionally sentenced to 24 hours of community service.

Wells, a native of Nashville, has more than 21 years of coaching experience as an offensive line coach and coordinator with previous stops at Eastern Kentucky (1997-2002, 2015), New Mexico State (2014), South Florida (2013) and Western Kentucky (2003-12).

---

He has spelled out buttchugger so many times, most likely while he masterbated violently to videos of ut football, that his phone autocorrected buttchugger. Think about that.

So this happened a year ago and Hyams is reporting it as though it happened a week ago? Sounds about right.