Sapulpa Superintendent: Students Struggling After Coach Accused Of Rape Found Dead

A Sapulpa softball coach accused of raping a player took his life the same day charges were filed against him.

Brad Evans was charged with second-degree rape on Thursday. The superintendent said when the school learned about the allegations he was terminated.

Evans coached the Sapulpa High School softball team and was the assistant baseball coach for about 18 months. He was also a teacher's assistant at the high school.

Sapulpa Superintendent Kevin Burr said the school's focus is now on the students.

“They're surprised. They're devastated. They're angry. They're confused. They're sad -- all of the emotions that you could possibly consider are appropriate and there,” Burr said.

He said students and athletes were not only trying come to terms with rape allegations against the head softball coach, but they also were trying to understand his death.

3/6/2015 Related Story: Sapulpa Coach Charged With Rape Dead Of Apparent Suicide

“We're devastated; we know kids are devastated, parents, certainly a family,” Burr said.

The Creek County Sheriff's Office said it appeared Evans killed himself Thursday. That same day he was charged with the second-degree rape of one of his 17-year-old softball players.

An affidavit says Evans was renting a mobile home in rural Creek County.

According to court records, Evans' wife told investigators a 17-year-old girl was at the home when she showed up around 12:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

Later that day, documents say the teenager told investigators Evans was her softball coach, then admitted the two had sex twice at the home and that she was drunk one of those times.

She then told investigators she left her senior class ring on a bedside table. The affidavit says investigators served a search warrant and found the ring next to Evans' bed.

“Within just a few hours of us learning about it, and verifying and seeing the admission on the part of the victim, we took action,” Burr said.

Evans was a convicted felon who served three years in prison for drug charges.

The superintendent said the school was aware of Evans' criminal history when he was hired.

“It was more than 10 years old and we felt like that was a one-time indiscretion that was in his past and would remain there, and to our knowledge it was,” Burr said.

Because a coach is in a position of power, it doesn't matter if a teenager is of consenting age. It's still illegal for a coach or educator to have a so-called consensual sexual relationship with a student or athlete.