Authorities have blown the whistle on a Tennessee high school football coach for allegedly vandalizing his own school to motivate his team against a rival.
Michael Schmitt, an assistant coach at Marion County High School in Jasper, was arrested Wednesday on vandalism charges for spray-painting the school's buildings with vulgarities and personal insults aimed at his players and fellow coaches, investigators say.
Law enforcement believes Schmitt used the colors of rival South Pittsburg High School, orange and black, and also painted a large "P," the logo of South Pittsburg, to make it look like that school was involved.
"It goes back to the rivalry," Marion County Sheriff Ronnie Bo Burnett told The Huffington Post. "It's a big thing here."
The alleged ploy didn't work. The damage appeared Nov. 1, the morning of Marion County's game against South Pittsburg, but Marion County lost, 35-17.
Burnett told HuffPost he couldn't disclose how investigators linked the 41-year-old Schmitt, of nearby Soddy Daisies, Tenn., to the crime.
Schmitt was released on $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 15.
According to the WRCB TV report above, Schmitt was suspended with pay.
The school did not comment on the matter.