UTSA basketball coach passed out in his car outside Corpus Christi gas station before DWI arrest – KSAT

UTSA basketball coach passed out in his car outside Corpus Christi gas station before DWI arrest  KSAT

A basketball coach from the University of Texas-San Antonio was arrested Tuesday in Corpus Christi, and a report from the police department describes the alleged drunken encounter. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A basketball coach from the University of Texas-San Antonio was arrested Tuesday in Corpus Christi, and a report from the police department describes the alleged drunken encounter. Austin Claunch, identified in records as James Claunch, was arrested Tuesday and charged with driving while intoxicated. He is a three-year head coach of the Division I basketball team. UTSA suspended Claunch from the team on Wednesday, the athletics department’s vice president said in an email. Claunch performed poorly on sobriety tests, according to the Corpus Christi Police Department.

Police responded to a 911 call just before 2 a.m. when someone reported Claunch stumbling inside a Stripes gas station in the 9600 block of South Padre Island Drive. The report said he walked back to his Mercedes parked in front of the building, and police found him passed out sitting in the driver’s seat with a seatbelt on. The arresting officer said police turned Claunch’s car off and woke him up. The officer also noted smelling alcohol from his breath and his slurred speech in the report. Claunch spoke to officers and admitted to having a drink that night, but did not