Carl Pelini files suit against former assistant

Staff report

Youngstown State defensive line coach Carl Pelini has filed a defamation lawsuit against a former assistant at Florida Atlantic, according to a Sports Illustrated report on Wednesday.

The suit against Matt Edwards — now the defensive coordinator at Tiffin University — was filed Monday in Seneca County, Ohio.

Edwards alleged Pelini used drugs. Those allegations led to Pelini’s resignation as FAU’s head coach in October 2013.

Pelini has denied the allegations and his resignation was later changed to a termination with cause for “failing to timely report certain conduct of a member of your staff” by FAU’s interim president, Dennis J. Crudele. Crudele said Pelini was not fired for drug use.

Pelini, hired this month as an assistant at YSU under his younger brother, Bo, alleges Edwards knowingly signed an affidavit that was false and that the former Owls assistant also made verbal statements that caused “injury, harm, damage to reputation and other damage to [Pelini] as a result of these false statements,” according to the SI story. Pelini is seeking damages in excess of $25,000.

Carl Pelini declined an interview request from The Vindicator on Tuesday after a Penguins spring practice. He told a YSU representative he would speak to local members of the media, but not that day.

Carl Pelini told SI.com he waited to file his lawsuit against Edward so the potential of litigation wouldn’t hurt his job search.

“It’s been a very frustrating time,” Pelini told SI.com. “An embarrassing time. There’s a lot of false information and misinformation out there. Everybody seems to have a theory as to what happened. I feel like this is going to be an opportunity for me to go under oath and state the facts as they really happened.”

SI reported that Edwards did not immediately respond to an interview request.

The job as an assistant to Bo Pelini at YSU is Carl Pelini’s first coaching position since he resigned at FAU.

Edwards, in his affidavit, alleged he had observed Carl Pelini using marijuana and cocaine. Former FAU assistant Pete Rekstis, a former YSU player and assistant, also was accused of using drugs and resigned. Rekstis is now the defensive coordinator at Rhode Island.