Minnesota Wrestling: J Robinson can’t keep coaching after this

Remember that story about alleged Xanex misbehavior among Minnesota wrestlers that was followed with some alleged questionable decisons by head coach J Robinson? Yeah, the alleged details get worse the more of them you get (via Amelia Rayno of the STrib).

University of Minnesota wrestling coach J Robinson told police investigators in April that he had "fully taken care of" his team’s drug problem and refused to turn over the names of student-athletes involved and documents in his possession, according to a search warrant affidavit obtained Tuesday by the Star Tribune.

Coach Robinson definitely doesn’t think he was in the wrong here, because his candid responses to the police and his obstructive behavior didn’t stop there according to the documents and statements obtained by the STrib:

Robinson’s attorney, Ryan Kaess, said Tuesday the coach was trying to help his team members when he rebuked police requests. Kaess also downplayed the dealing of Xanax, calling those sales "ticky-tack violations."

"He said [to police], ‘Listen, I’m not going to work with you,’ " Kaess said. " ‘Why are you ostensibly coming after these kids? We need to help them — not hang a felony around their necks.’ "

According to the affidavit, Robinson met with officers April 12 but refused to provide them with wrestlers’ names, documents in his possession and other information pertinent to the investigation. Robinson then said he would provide extensive information to police in exchange for "immunity" for his athletes.

"Robinson said that he would provide more detailed information beyond possession and use by his players if we could grant his players immunity," university investigator Aaron Churness wrote in the report.

Look, I’ve already gone into my personal feelings on this but I’m going to revisit a few things here:

• Regardless of my personal opinions about drug enforcement policy (which are quite empathetic to J’s motivations), selling a controlled substance is not a "ticky-tack violation" as J’s lawyer so generously put it.
• You can’t be the head coach of a sports program at a public university and obstruct a police investigation with intent to secure your athletes an immunity deal. You just can’t.

It will take the proper time to play out, but Minnesota is going to fire J Robinson and they’ll have made the right decision.