Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence.
Atlanta City Jail spokeswoman Ashanti Moore said Thursday that Budenholzer had been released on $1,524.50 bond.
“I take my role as a leader very seriously and hold myself to a high standard,” Budenholzer said in the statement released to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I apologize to the fans and to the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon my family and the organization while the legal process evolves and I contest these misdemeanor charges.”
According to the incident report obtained from the Georgia State Patrol, Budenholzer was pulled over at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Atlanta for not having working taillights. Trooper J. Nelms said in the report that Budenholzer had bloodshot and watery eyes “and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.”
Budenholzer refused a breath test but agreed to a field sobriety test, according to the report. He told Nelms he had only one glass of wine and that he finished the glass about 15 minutes before being pulled over.
Nelms said in the report that Budenholzer was “polite” and that his speech patterns were mumbled, slow and slurred.
Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said Budenholzer immediately informed him of the arrest.
“Bud made us aware of the situation last night,” Ferry said in a statement released by the team. He said team officials are gathering more information before commenting further.
Budenholzer, 44, a former longtime San Antonio Spurs assistant, was named the Hawks coach May 29.
He spent 19 years with the Spurs, including 17 seasons as an assistant. He was the top assistant for coach Gregg Popovich the past six years.
Ferry and Budenholzer worked together in San Antonio. Ferry came to the Hawks last year after two years as vice president of basketball operations for the Spurs.
Budenholzer was hired to replace Larry Drew, who now is the Milwaukee Bucks‘ coach.