Carl Pelini wants job back at Florida Atlantic

Staff/wire reports

MIAMI

Carl Pelini, a Mahoning Valley native, wants his job back at Florida Atlantic, asking school officials to rescind the resignation letter that he now claims he was forced to sign after being confronted with allegations that he used illegal drugs.

Pelini, who was FAU’s head football coach for 20 games, said he denied using the drugs, later identified in other documents as marijuana and cocaine. When FAU announced his resignation Oct. 30, athletic director Patrick Chun said Pelini and now-former defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis both acknowledged that they used drugs.

“I denied using illegal drugs three times,” Pelini, who was 5-15 with the Owls, wrote in a letter Thursday to three FAU officials.

Chun released a statement through an athletic department spokeswoman, saying he stands “by my statement and decision from last week.”

“We had ample evidence to support the charges that we confronted both coaches with,” said Chun, who declined further comment.

Pelini’s attorney, Brian Kopp of Betras, Kopp & Harshman, did not return a message Thursday.

Pelini, a Cardinal Mooney High School graduate and former Austintown Fitch head football coach, is the brother of Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini.

Carl Pelini played two seasons at Columbia University and was an assistant at Mooney and several other high schools and at Kansas State before leading the Fitch program from 2000-02. He later was an assistant at Kansas State, Minnesota-Mankato and Nebraska.

Rekstis, who grew up in Cleveland, was a Youngstown State defensive back from 1987-90 and a former Penguins assistant under former YSU head coaches Jim Tressel and Jon Heacock.

Last week, two days after Pelini’s resignation was announced, the situation took a turn when school officials released sworn affidavits from two people — including FAU assistant coach Matt Edwards — alleging drug use. Edwards wrote that he witnessed Pelini smoking marijuana in Key West on Oct. 19, the Saturday of an off week for the Owls. Another person, Allison Stewart, also said she got a text message from Pelini where he admitted drug use.

Pelini said that when he was confronted by Chun, he told him that Edwards and Stewart “had strong motive to have me removed” from his job. He has not specified what he believes those motives to be.

Pelini’s contract specified that if he used “any narcotics, drugs, or other controlled substances” he could be subject to firing. His resignation was effective immediately. Rekstis’ resignation is not effective until Dec. 31, though he no longer is part of the coaching staff.

Pelini had a base annual salary of $472,500, according to FAU’s most recently released payroll data. Rekstis was making $145,000 and Edwards is making $90,272 annually.

Pelini called FAU a “dream job” and said reinstatement would allow him to continue building the program and clear his tarnished name. The Owls are 1-0 under interim coach Brian Wright.