New Hofstra coach resigns after DWI arrest near East Meadow
Tim Welsh resigned as Hofstra's men's basketball coach on Monday, three days after he was arrested and charged with DWI on April 30 near the border of East Meadow and Levittown. Welsh's departure comes only three weeks after his hiring, which was announced on April 1.
According to police, at about 1 .m., Welsh was stopped at a steady green light at the intersection of Hempstead Turnpike and N. Bellmore Road in Levittown, just east of the Wantagh State Parkway. Following an investigation, police said, Welsh was placed under arrest for DWI. He was arraigned on Friday and met with Hofstra officials on Monday. Hofstra later released a statement on Welsh's decision to resign.
"Tim Welsh today tendered his resignation as the Hofstra University men's basketball coach," Hofstra said on Monday in a statement posted on its athletics Web site. "The University accepted the resignation in the best interests of the University and of the men's basketball program."
Welsh, 49, replaced Tom Pecora as coach, who accepted a head coaching position at Fordham in late March after 16 years behind the Hofstra bench, including nine as head coach. Welsh was head coach at Providence College in the powerful Big East conference from 1998-2008 and led the Friars to two NCAA Tournaments.
According to court records, Welsh is scheduled to appear again in court on Tuesday.
Hofstra has not announced who will replace Welsh as its new men's basketball coach.
Updated: 5/3/10, 2:45 p.m.
