Tennessee High School Football Coach Arrested for Allegedly Vandalizing Own School to Pump up Team

There have to be better methods of motivation.

Marion County (Tenn.) High School assistant football coach Michael Schmitt was arrested Wednesday on charges of vandalizing his own school in what police describe as a bizarre attempt to fire up the Marion players.

The night prior to Marion County’s game against rival South Pittsburg two weeks ago, several walls and doors around the school’s field house were spray-painted with vulgar taunts and nods to South Pittsburg’s seven-game winning streak over Marion.

Players from the rival school were the obvious early suspects for the crime, which resulted in “thousands of dollars” worth of damage, but a two-week police investigation determined that Schmitt was the actual culprit, with South Pittsburg students having no involvement.

“It is sad to say that this event gives the whole community a black eye and the real victims of this incident are the kids from both schools,” Marion County Sheriff’s Detective Matt Blansett told the Chattanooga Times Free Press following the coach’s arrest.

South Pittsburg went on the win the game 35-17, running its winning streak in the series to eight games.

Thanks to Deadspin for digging this up. 

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