GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The head football coach of Union High School was suspended Monday afternoon following an arrest over the weekend for suspected OWI.
Don Fellows took over as Union's top coach on the field in April 2020.
He previously served as the head coach for Grand Rapids Christian High School's football program from 2010 until 2019.
Fellows was arrested Saturday, Sept. 9 in the city of North Muskegon.
The North Muskegon Police Department says Fellows hit a front yard sign outside their building. A witness reportedly saw what happened and ran over. Police say Fellows hit that person while he tried to get away.
Fellows was booked on a charge of Operating While Intoxicated.
On Monday, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office confirmed to FOX 17 that they had issued three charges against Fellows.
- Failure to Stop at Scene of Personal Injury Accident (a 1-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine)
- Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense (a 93-day misdemeanor and/or $100-$500 fine)
- Failure to Stop After Collision (a 90-day misdemeanor and/or $100 fine)
“We are saddened by these developments but committed to ensuring continuity for our scholar-athletes. An interim replacement coach has been appointed and he will assume leadership responsibilities immediately,” Grand Rapids Schools Executive Director of Athletics Kurt Johnson said in a statement Monday.
“Our focus is and always has been on the best interest of the scholars we serve. We know that their participation on the Union High School football team has been enriching and we won’t allow that to change.”
The district says Scott Van Essen will serve as interim head coach effective Monday.
