Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence and must pay a fine of $1,000 in lieu of spending four days in jail, and also perform 24 hours of community service, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
Few also had his driver’s license suspended until Nov. 5. Afterward, he will be required to use an ignition interlock device as he serves unsupervised probation for a year.
The incident occurred on Sept. 6 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which is approximately 35 miles east of Spokane, Wash., where the Gonzaga campus is located.
According to court documents, Few explained his decision for entering the guilty plea.
“Pleading guilty because I am guilty,” the 58-year-old coach said.
According to Coeur d’Alene police, Few had blood-alcohol content levels of .119 and .120 in breath samples.
The legal limit in Idaho is 0.08.
Few has been suspended for Gonzaga’s two preseason games and the Nov. 9 season opener against Dixie State. He is expected to return for Gonzaga’s home game against Texas on Nov. 13.
When Few was pulled over around 9 p.m. local time on Labor Day, he told Coeur d’Alene police he was returning to Spokane from his vacation home in Hayden Lake, Idaho.
According to a police report, Few initially refused to leave his black SUV and told officers that previous ankle and knee injuries prevented him from doing field sobriety tests.
Few also initially told officers he didn’t have any alcoholic beverages. He later disclosed he had a couple of beers.
Few apologized for his actions multiple times, including on Oct. 9 when Gonzaga announced the suspension.
“I have had a month to reflect on the regretful decisions I made on Sept. 6,” Few said then. “I again offer my sincere apology and I remain committed to learning from this mistake.”
Few has a 630-125 record in 22 seasons as Gonzaga’s coach. The Bulldogs lost to Baylor in last season’s national title game and lost to North Carolina in the 2017 championship contest.
–Field Level Media
