Florida Atlantic football head coach Carl Pelini and defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis have resigned, according to several media reports.
ESPN.com first reported through an anonymous source that Pelini and Rekstis attended a social event in which marijuana was present.
CBSSports.com reported that FAU athletic director Pat Chun admitted to drug use and that no other coaches were involved in the incident.
"They tendered their resignations to me late this morning after I confronted both coaches with reports relating to their use of illegal drugs," Chun said in a statement released by the university. "On Monday, I was made aware of these concerns and I immediately reported the allegations to our General Counsel. The University acted quickly and decisively to follow up and take action that is in the best interests of our student-athletes and the University overall. I can assure you that we have no information that suggests anyone other than these two individuals engaged in these activities."
Pelini issued a statement through FAU, saying, ""I apologize for exercising poor judgment. My greatest concerns at this time are for my family, the dedicated FAU players and my staff. I am confident that Pat Chun and the University administration will continue to move the program forward."
Offensive coordinator Brian Wright has assumed head coaching responsibilities for the remainder of the season. According to CBSSports.com, Chun already has begun the search for a permanent head coach.
The Owls are 2-6 this season with a home game Saturday against Tulane.
Pelini is the older brother of Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Bo Pelini and was on his younger brother's staff as defensive coordinator before taking over at Florida Atlantic last season. Pelini finished with a 5-15 record as Owls coach.
"I am personally very saddened for our student-athletes, coaches and staff," Chun said. "I just met with the players a few moments ago and notified them of the news. As you could imagine, the reaction was shock, dismay and disbelief. What I do know is that the FAU football team is a resilient group of young men and they will work through this, and learn and grow from this experience. It is a heartbreaking day for us all."
No response from Wright or the football program was immediately y available.
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