Coach sentenced to probation for punching referee

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) A volunteer high school football coach in North Texas must serve 15 months of probation for punching a referee when his son's team was losing.<br/> <br/>47-year-old Charles

Friday, January 19th 2007, 3:53 pm

By: News On 6

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) A volunteer high school football coach in North Texas must serve 15 months of probation for punching a referee when his son's team was losing.

47-year-old Charles Kirkland yesterday pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to probation, with deferred adjudication.

Kirkland also was fined 680 dollars for assaulting referee Culley Phillips of Arlington during a seven-on-seven football game in June at Grapevine High School.

Phillips suffered a split lip.

Wylie was losing to Lewisville Hebron when Kirkland slugged Phillips, the men wrestled to the ground and the game was stopped.

Kirkland's team later had to forfeit two games.

Defense attorney Todd Shapiro today told The Associated Press that accepting the plea deal was difficult, but his client is active in the community and "didn't want to drag people into a trial."