Mack Breed, a former assistant football coach at John Jay High School in Texas, issued a guilty plea on misdemeanor assault charges on Monday.
Breed was accused of ordering his players to hit a referee during a game. Video of the incident, showing players Michael Moreno and Victor Rojas blindsiding official Robert Watts went viral, drew national media attention.
Related: Texas HS Football Players Suspended After Decking Ref
Breed resigned shortly after the incident.
From AB: Coach Admits to Ordering Hit on Ref, Resigns, Recants
According to ESPN, as a part of the plea deal, Breed’s sentence of a year in prison and a $3,500 fine was suspended, resulting in 18 months of probation instead.
“Mack Felt that he made a mistake that evening, and he felt the best thing for him to do was to take responsibility, put it behind him and move forward with his life,” Breed’s attorney James Reeves said.
Charges against the players involved in the hit have not yet been filed, but according to county attorney Eddie Arredondo, aggravated assault charges are under consideration.
In television interviews, Moreno and Rojas said that Breed had ordered the hit on Watts after he had gotten angry about lopsided officiating and alleged racist language Watts had used.
From AB: Players on National TV: Coach Ordered Hit on Referee
Watts denied any use of racist language.
Both Moreno and Rojas were suspended by their school district, and ordered to complete the semester at an alternative school. They are eligible to return to John Jay in January.
