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The Columbus Aviators just cannot catch a break. On Saturday, April 11, right when the team should have been doing final walkthroughs for their UFL game against the Dallas Renegades, their head coach, the Buckeye legend Ted Ginn Jr., ended up behind bars.

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It all started just after midnight at 12:58 a.m., according to The Dallas Morning News, when the Euless Police Department in Texas pulled him over on 100 West Euless Boulevard for some traffic violations. Things went south from there, and after a roadside investigation, the cops arrested him for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Shortly after, he was eventually booked into the Tarrant County Jail under his legal name, Theodore Ginn.

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To make matters even more bewildering, Sunday happened to be Ginn’s 41st birthday. Instead of celebrating his first year as a pro head coach or blowing out candles, he was dealing with a $1,000 bond to get out of jail.

The timing is honestly a disaster for the Aviators. They were already sitting at 0-2 and heading into a game against an undefeated, high-scoring Renegades team. It’s a bit of a bind situation for Ohio State’s reputation, especially since he’s such a legend back in Ohio for his days as a star wideout for the Buckeyes and his 14-year run in the NFL.

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A win was crucial for the Columbus franchise to save its early season. Instead, Ginn Jr.’s midnight arrest derailed their final walkthroughs, forcing an interim coach to take over before Sunday’s critical kickoff. The UFL League President, Russ Brandon, put out a statement earlier today.

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“We are aware of an incident involving Head Coach Ted Ginn Jr. over the weekend and are in the process of gathering more information. Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley will handle the head coaching duties for the Aviators game on Sunday,” the statement read.

Todd Haley is a coaching veteran who has done and seen it all. He was the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs and the OC for big-name teams like the Steelers and Browns. The league is in a situation right now because Ginn was hired specifically to bring that ‘Ohio State energy’ to the new Columbus franchise, even though he had zero previous experience coaching at this level.

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Before this, he was mostly known for coaching at his alma mater, Glenville High, and running his “Ginn Academy” for young men in Cleveland. Now, there are a lot of questions about whether he’ll even keep his job long-term.

The possible outcomes for Ted Ginn Jr.

Now that he’s out on a $1,000 bond, Ginn has to deal with the actual legal charge of Driving While Intoxicated in Tarrant County. He’ll eventually have to head back to a Texas courtroom to face a judge. The popular consensus is that it could lead to anything from fines and probation to a suspended driver’s license.

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The UFL’s disciplinary policy is still a bit of a mystery since the league is so new, so we can’t say the best possible outcome. But the worst-case scenario for his coaching career, they might part ways with him entirely. For now, Ginn is essentially a spectator. Todd Haley has officially taken over the “interim” head coach title. The longer Haley stays after grabbing a couple of wins here and there, the harder it might be for Ginn to just slide back into his old job.

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Ginn is an Ohio icon, so a big part of what’s next is just trying to fix his relationship with the fans in Columbus. He’s spent his whole life being a role model through his academy and his time at Ohio State, so he’s most probably going to have to make some public apologies to win back that trust. Basically, his future as a pro coach is in a “wait and see” phase while the lawyers and league execs do their thing.

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Ameek Abdullah Jamal

2,185 Articles

Ameek Abdullah Jamal is a College Football writer at EssentiallySports. An athlete-turned-writer, he brings on-field perspective to his coverage, highlighting the energy, rivalries, and culture that define campus football. His reporting emphasizes quick-turn updates and nuanced storytelling, connecting directly with engaged fans.

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Himanga Mahanta

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