Huskers' Joseph arrested on suspicion of assault

Mickey Joseph, who served as interim head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers for nine games this season, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of strangulation and third-degree domestic assault, the Lincoln Police Department said.

The Lincoln Police Department said officers were dispatched to a residence on a domestic disturbance call. After an investigation, officers arrested Joseph, 54, at a separate location and booked him into the Lancaster County Jail.

Joseph was placed on administrative leave by Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts following the arrest.

Joseph was named interim coach after the Cornhuskers fired Scott Frost on Sept. 11. Nebraska went 3-6 under Joseph, finishing the season 4-8, before hiring former Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule to an eight-year deal as the program’s new head coach on Saturday.

At Rhule’s introductory news conference Monday, he credited Joseph and Nebraska’s staff for how they finished the season. Joseph’s amended contract after he became interim head coach stated that he would return to his role as wide receivers coach, passing game coordinator and associate head coach if someone else was named the team’s permanent coach. The contract stated Joseph would be owed his original buyout if not retained without cause.

Rhule had not announced whether Joseph would be retained on his staff. Rhule declined comment to The Associated Press through an athletic department spokesman Wednesday night.

Joseph was a quarterback for the Cornhuskers from 1988 to 1991. He was arrested in September 1990 on suspicion of criminal mischief for allegedly breaking an exterior window and damaging an inner window while trying to enter his girlfriend’s apartment. According to police reports, the girlfriend’s roommate told officers there had been a domestic dispute going on for several hours. No charges were filed in that case because of uncooperative witnesses.

Joseph also was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Lincoln in 1989 and suspended for one game.

Joseph returned to Nebraska last December. Before that, he spent five years on LSU’s staff. He spent two seasons as head coach at Langston University, an NAIA program.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.