Four coaches, four similar situations, two wildly different outcomes.
David Reaves was announced as Oregon's co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach on Jan. 17. Five days later, he was arrested for drunk driving at 2:12 a.m. The Ducks announced later that day it had begun the process of his termination.
"Reaves has been placed on administrative leave and the process to terminate his employment with cause has commenced," Oregon AD Rob Mullens said in a statement. "The University has high standards for the conduct of employees and is addressing this matter with the utmost of seriousness."
Former Purdue interim head coach Gerad Parker was set to join East Carolina's staff as wide receivers coach until he was charged early Tuesday morning with operating a vehicle while impaired in West Lafayette, Ind. Parker had resigned from his post as Cincinnati's running backs coach in order to join the Pirates' staff, but by Wednesday ECU confirmed Parker's offer had been rescinded.
That same day, Nebraska wide receivers coach Keith Williams was sentenced to 30 days in jail, three years of probation and a $1,000 fine for an August DUI arrest. It was his third such arrest. However, a source told FootballScoop over the weekend Williams will instead serve 30 days of house arrest instead of prison time. He will participate in Nebraska's spring practices, which begin Saturday.
Williams was originally suspended without pay for the second half of August and sat out the Huskers' first four games of the 2016 season.
"He made a terrible mistake," Nebraska head coach Mike Riley said at the time. "We have decided to support him and give him an opportunity to work with our kids.... "He has got a tremendous influence on our team, and our players. He's one of the best I've been around. He talks real life stuff with these kids. These kids listen to him. They change under him. He has impacted them."
Two weeks after Williams's arrest, Florida State strength coach Vic Viloria was arrested after hitting a traffic sign and falling asleep at the wheel after drinking whiskey with Showtime employees, who were shooting a behind-the-scenes show on the Seminoles. His blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.
He was suspended for, essentially, the month of September.
"I have suspended Coach Viloria for more than a third of the football season to send a strong message about the very serious nature of his offense," Florida State president John Trasher said in a statement in August. "We have an outstanding athletics program, and fans must know it operates with class and reflects the university’s values. We are continuing to work with Showtime on their fall series showcasing our talented team, and they have been responsive to our concerns."
Both Williams and Viloria had established their employment prior to their respective arrests. Both remain employed. Reaves and Parker were fresh to their new employers, and both of those employers quickly moved on from each coach.
While the charges may have been the same, clearly, the responses are not.