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The Lincoln Police Department announced Wednesday that Nebraska interim head coach Mickey Joseph was arrested for strangulation and third-degree domestic assault, and new details about the case emerged Thursday.
According to TMZ Sports, court documents stated a woman told police Joseph “pushed me on the couch and strangled me” and then “grabbed her hair from behind and pulled her backward, causing her to fall to the ground” after she initially escaped.
She said he then punched her in the face, and police observed swelling around her eye when they arrived at the scene.
A witness corroborated what she said.
TMZ Sports noted Joseph faces up to three years in prison if he is convicted on the felony charge of assault by strangulation or suffocation.
The Lincoln Police Department said “the high-profile nature of the person involved and, in an effort, to provide transparency on an arrest involving a public figure” is why it made an announcement even though it typically doesn’t for domestic violence-related arrests.
According to KSBN Local 4, Joseph, who denied punching and grabbing the hair of the woman, appeared in court Thursday and will do so again on Jan. 30. He was ordered not to contact the woman.
“I was made aware of the charges against Coach Joseph and given the nature of the allegations and based on University policy he has been placed on administrative leave,” Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts said in a statement. “We will have no additional comment at this time.”
Nebraska named Joseph the interim coach after it fired Scott Frost following a 1-2 start to the 2022 season.
It has since hired Matt Rhule to be the new head coach, and it had not yet been announced whether Joseph would be retained on the coaching staff.
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