High school basketball coach slugs ‘taunting’ fan after 13th loss in row, NC cops say
A high school coach was arrested Tuesday in North Carolina for allegedly doing something a lot of coaches have likely only imagined: Slugging a “taunting” fan in the stands.
Coach Chadwick Rock Wright, 48, of West Lincoln High School in Lincolnton is accused of igniting a brawl at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, following his team’s 63-28 loss to the Newton-Conover High Red Devils.
West Lincoln High’s basketball team is currently 0-13. The school is about 40 miles northwest of Charlotte.
Investigators said in a press release that a Lincoln County deputy, S. W. Edwards, was working security at the game and witnessed the incident as it unfolded.
It started when a man accompanied by “five or six people” began yelling from the stands at Wright as he was leaving the floor after the game, according to the press release.
“At that point, Coach Wright ran into the stands and struck the man in the head area,” the release said.
“The man and the coach began wrestling around in the stands. A female then began taunting the coach and was pulled into the affray,” the release continued.
Deputies had to intervene, taking Wright into custody and straight to the Magistrate’s Office, the release said.
Wright has been charged with misdemeanor counts of assault on a female, simple assault and battery, and disorderly conduct, according the release. Bond was set at $1,500, officials said.
Investigators did not identify the other adults involved and did not say if they were supporters of West Lincoln High or Newton-Conover, which is 9-4.
Newton-Conover High is in Catawba County town of Newton, about 26 miles north of Lincolnton.
Fans of Wright came to his defense on social media after the charges were made public Thursday.
“Had him as a teacher, never a loud word or hateful tone to him,” posted Jonathan Willis on Facebook.
“He’s a really sweet man so they had to have said something bad. I stand behind him,” wrote Jacki Franklin Godfrey.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 11:45 AM with the headline "High school basketball coach slugs ‘taunting’ fan after 13th loss in row, NC cops say."