Athletic director on administrative leave after DUI charge
USU Athletic Director Rance Pugmire was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol after he crashed his vehicle in Box Elder County.
Pugmire was driving a 2000 Dodge Durango on I-15 from Salt Lake City to Logan. A witness who followed him for eight miles said he drifted on and off the road several times, Sgt. Mike Johnson of the Utah Highway Patrol said. Johnson said Pugmire’s vehicle drifted onto the highway median, veered back across the two north-bound lanes and then rolled three times before landing upside-down. Pugmire was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash, Johnson said.
Utah Highway Patrol administered three field sobriety tests which Pugmire failed, Johnson said. He was arrested and booked into the Box Elder County Jail on a class-B misdemeanor DUI charge. Pugmire refused to take a breathalyzer test both at the scene and in the jail, Johnson said. He was released on $1,300 bail.
Pugmire has been placed on 60-day paid administrative leave by USU President Kermit L. Hall. John DeVilbiss, university public relations director, said Hall and Pugmire mutually agreed on the action.
“We all make mistakes in life. In this case it’s a serious one, and that’s why I’ve asked [Pugmire] to take 60 days off,” Hall said.
Hall said Pugmire called him Monday after being released from jail to say he had been in an accident, sustained a mild concussion and had refused to take the breathalyzer test.
Sgt. Johnson said, “We weren’t made aware of [an injury] at the time.”
Hall said, “I give Rance very high marks for being forthcoming and direct that he was really deeply sorry about it. I think that’s a good sign, that there’s no lying and dissembling.”
DeVilbiss said Pugmire said he was not on university business when the accident occurred. Pugmire was driving a university vehicle designated for his use, DeVilbiss said, but there was “nothing inappropriate or against policy” about it.
Hall said the arrest is a serious matter for the school.
“The athletic director is in the public light and is expected to set a standard of behavior that would be a model for student-athletes and the student population as a whole,” Hall said. “We have pretty high expectations of athletes and so we have pretty high expectations of their leaders.”
Hall said the incident doesn’t fall in the category of a major scandal.
“It’s more of a personal tragedy,” Hall said. “I’m very much concerned about Rance, I’m concerned about his future. He’s been a wonderful and strong member of the university and this is the first time anything like this has happened to him.”
DeVilbiss said the administrative leave may extend to 60 days and the length of time depends on what happens in court. When asked whether Pugmire would return to his position at USU if convicted, DeVilbiss said, “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Fred Hunsaker, former vice president for administrative services at USU, is now acting athletic director.
“We do not condone drinking and driving,” DeVilbiss said. “While these are charges only, they are particularly troubling in light of our responsibility to be good examples to our students and student-athletes.”
When contacted, Pugmire said only that the situation is being handled by his lawyer, Shannon Demler.
Bruce Ward, Cache County deputy attorney, said there are consequences for refusing a breathalyzer test.
“The law is that you must submit to blood, breath or urine tests on the request of the officer if he has probable cause to believe you’ve committed a DUI,” Ward said.
In Utah, refusal to take a test is an automatic one-year revocation of the driver’s license, Ward said.
Johnson said Pugmire wasn’t speeding and that he believed the road conditions were “basically dry.”
“About all I can say is that the witness stated that there was an erratic driving pattern when that witness was following him,” Johnson said.
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