Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer charged Thursday with DUI
Mike Budenholzer, hired in May to be the next Hawks coach, was charged early Thursday morning with DUI in Atlanta. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
The new Atlanta Hawks coach, Mike Budenholzer, was arrested late Wednesday evening by Georgia State Patrol and charged early Thursday morning with Driving Under the Influence, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A state trooper pulled over the Audi A8 he was driving at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday because the tail lights on the car were not on and then suspected a possible DUI case:
“As I spoke with him, I noticed that he had bloodshot and watery eyes and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath...“I asked Mr. Budenholzer how much alcohol he had and he advised that he had one glass of wine to drink prior to driving."
The 41-year-old coach, who was hired to coach the Hawks in May, refused the trooper's request for a breathalyzer test and was subsequently charged with DUI early Thursday morning. He was released at 3:45 a.m. on a $1,524 bond.
Hawks President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ferry issued a statement at approximately 9 a.m. on Thursday saying the team is aware of the incident:
"Bud made us aware of the situation last night. We are in the process of gathering more information and will have further comment at the appropriate time.
Budenholzer was with the San Antonio Spurs for 19 seasons, most recently as an assistant coach. He was brought in by Atlanta in the offseason to replace head coach Larry Drew after the Hawks finished with a 44-38 record before the team lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
