NCAA football coach resigns after promotion - 'I want to apologize to my wife'
In January, Virginia Tech football coach Justin Fuente promoted 38-year-old Galen Scott to co-defensive coordinator.
Four months later, Scott resigned in disgrace after admitting that he used recruiting trips to pursue an extramarital affair.
“I want to thank Coach Fuente for the opportunity to serve on his staff both here at Virginia Tech and at Memphis,” Scott said in a statement Friday via the university. “After much reflection and conversation, I felt now was the time to step away from football and focus on my family. I appreciate all the coaches, student-athletes and staff members I was fortunate enough to work with at Virginia Tech. I wish the Hokies the very best in 2018 and beyond.”
The affair was exposed in an email that was sent to the Richmond Times-Dispatch and posted on a Twitter account that apparently belongs to the husband of the woman with whom Scott was involved.
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In comments to the Times-Dispatch and The Roanoke Times, Scott, who has two children with his wife, admitted to having been involved in an inappropriate relationship.
“I made a mistake and I have to take responsibility for that,” he told The Times. “I did some things that I want to apologize to my wife for and my family for and I need to make sure I make that right by just being around for them and being the best father and person I can be.”
But Scott, who was set to make $338,000 this season, denied that he had misused athletic department funds.
“It’s not as outlandish and crazy as people are letting it on to be,” he told The Times. “Paying for stuff and all that. That’s not the deal. It’s just, I’m disappointed in myself because I hurt my family.”
A Virginia Tech spokesman said via The Times that every recruiting trip Scott had taken was legitimate and no misuse of athletic department money was discovered.
The Hokies announced that Justin Hamilton, their director for player development, would be promoted to an assistant job on an interim basis.
Scott told the Times-Dispatch that he’s not sure how he’ll be able to put his life back together.
“All this stuff is out on Twitter,” he said. “I don’t even know if I can get another job.”
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