After leading Ohio State’s women’s basketball program for 12 years, Kevin McGuff built his reputation on consistency and control until a legal issue off the court brought his tenure under unexpected scrutiny.
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That scrutiny culminated this week in a final ruling from Franklin County Court, stemming from an incident that occurred back in May. On May 6, McGuff was arrested after failing multiple field sobriety tests. Because the incident occurred after the spring semester, McGuff said he personally called each player to explain the situation, a moment he later described as the hardest part of the ordeal.
At the time, he pleaded not guilty to the initial operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVI) charge that Dublin police filed, per reports.
He addressed the situation during an August news conference. “Really, a horrible situation of which I take very seriously,” McGuff said. “To bring negativity to the university and the people involved in our program was a really, really terrible situation for me.”
That situation officially reached its conclusion this week. On Tuesday morning, McGuff pleaded guilty through his lawyer, Richard Piatt, locking in the final punishment handed down by Franklin County Municipal Court. The guilty plea was for a lesser charge than the initial OVI offense filed by Dublin police.
As part of the ruling, McGuff was handed a 180-day driver’s license suspension and ordered to pay a $565 fine. He will retain limited occupational driving privileges during the suspension. Piatt added that McGuff is expected to satisfy all court costs and fines by December 23.
With the punishment now finalized, police records and body camera footage offer a clearer picture of what unfolded the night of the arrest.
What really happened the night the OSU Women’s Basketball coach was arrested
It all started when Dublin police got a call about a vehicle driving recklessly, hitting multiple curbs and even rolling through someone’s lawn shortly before 8 p.m. on May 6, according to the arrest report. When officers arrived, they found Kevin McGuff’s Toyota Sequoia parked partially off his driveway and onto the lawn.
McGuff initially told police he was “coming from here to here” and struggled for more than two minutes to open the driver’s door or window. When asked again about where he’d been that night, he said he’d eaten dinner at J. Liu, but insisted he hadn’t had anything to drink. He also told officers he had not taken, nor been prescribed, any medications. All of this has been verified through Dublin police body camera footage.
Separately from the court proceedings, Ohio State suspended McGuff for two weeks as part of its internal disciplinary process. Similar disciplinary paths have been taken in college athletics before, with programs often opting for short suspensions when legal matters involving head coaches are resolved without jail time.
He was originally scheduled for a pretrial hearing on August 12, but that hearing was later pushed back to October 7. Moreover, the case was initially in Dublin Mayor’s Court until it was transferred to the Franklin County system on November 12.
As for the coaching, he returned after the suspension. On addressing doubts, McGuff said, “Everyone’s allowed to have their opinion, and I understand that, but I can tell you that I’ve had a great summer, and our team has had a great summer. And I think, collectively, we’re all in a good place.”
With the legal matter now officially resolved, the Buckeyes appear to have moved forward on the court. Ohio State’s women’s basketball team is 11-1, currently ranked No. 19, and most recently cruised past Western Michigan 95-47 on Monday.