Former interim Husker coach punched, tried to strangle woman at home, arrest affidavit says

By Nolan Dorn

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    LINCOLN, Nebraska (KLKN) — Former interim Husker coach Mickey Joseph tried to strangle a woman Wednesday at his home, court records allege.

In an arrest affidavit, a woman reported to police that Joseph had been verbal and physical with her at a home near 34th Street and Tree Line Drive around 2 p.m.

She told officers that Joseph had since left the home, court documents say.

When officers arrived, the woman told officers that she and Joseph had begun arguing over marital infidelity.

The woman said Joseph then pushed her onto the couch and placed his hands around her throat, according to court documents.

She was eventually able to get Joseph off of her and went into the kitchen.

Joseph then grabbed the woman’s hair from behind and pulled her backward, which caused her to fall, court documents allege.

As she was falling, Joseph reportedly struck her in the head with a closed fist.

In the arrest affidavit, officers noted that the woman had visible redness and swelling around her left eye.

She was also observed to have “several” long strands of hair clung to her right pant leg, according to the affidavit.

During the argument, Joseph grabbed the woman’s phone and tried to flush it down a toilet, court documents allege.

A relative of the woman was in a bedroom on the second floor when he heard the woman and Joseph arguing on the main floor.

The man told officers that he saw Joseph with his hands around the woman’s throat, court documents say.

This is when the man yelled at Joseph, who then pushed the woman onto the couch, according to the affidavit.

Around 3:10 p.m., officers found Joseph near 40th Street and Pine Lake Road, where they took him into custody.

Joseph denied hitting the woman in the face and grabbing her hair, court documents say. He did not have any visible injuries, the affidavit said.

Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts released a statement after the arrest was announced.

“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,” he wrote in the release. “We will have no additional comment at this time.”

Joseph was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the Lancaster County Courthouse. Judge Laurie Yardley set his bail at $2,000, and he was released shortly after 4:30 p.m.

The next court hearing is set for Jan. 30.

Joseph had a previous run-in with the law back in 1989, while he was a quarterback at Nebraska.

He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, which led to a suspension for one game, according to the Associated Press.

And then a year later, Joseph was arrested after an alleged domestic dispute, the AP reported.

Joseph was named as interim head coach after the firing of Scott Frost on Sept. 11. At the time, Alberts said Joseph would be an “obvious” candidate for the permanent job.

He led the team to wins over Rutgers, Indiana and Iowa.

On Saturday, Nebraska announced that former Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule would lead the football program.

A clause in Joseph’s restructured contract allowed him to return to his previous role with the Huskers immediately.

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