Football Coach Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin

Nick Nelson, a football coach entrusted to teach players how to lead at the quarterback position, was in Orange County Court on Wednesday.

Instead of scrambling from the accusations against him, the former star quarterback at Tesoro High and Saddleback College pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possessing drugs and a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. 

He appeared before Judge Craig Robison at the Harbor Justice Center and was sentenced to an 18-month drug diversion program. Nelson was taken into custody at the Musick Men's Facility in Irvine on Friday, but has been released on his own recognizance.

Nelson, 26, was arrested early Friday morning after the Orange County Sheriff's Department was notified by a woman at 12:53 a.m., that her son was smoking heroin in the bathroom of her Lake Forest residence. She also indicated that Nelson got into an argument with his younger brother and attempted to punch him.

Nelson is the quarterbacks coach at Tesoro High. He was a star at the school and led the Titans to their first football championship during his senior year in 2004. He then was one of the top junior college quarterbacks in the nation, rated No. 12 in the community college ranks by J.C. Gridwire,  while at Saddleback College. He attended Colorado, but played only one season, 2007, which consisted of three completions on six pass attempts. 

But Tuesday, Nikolas Dean Nelson's team included deputy public defender Rose Mauro. He was formally charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, which is a felony, and possession of an opium pipe and/or controlled substance paraphernalia, which is a misdemeanor.

Nelson is the fifth area football coach since 2010 who have pleaded guilty to drug-related charges. All were assistant coaches. 

Sean Coen and Robert Hendricks of Santa Margarita Catholic and Charles "Chachi" Spann of St. Margaret's  pleaded guilty in September, 2011 to misdemeanor possession and cultivation of marijuana for their role in a plant growing operation at their residence in San Juan Capistrano; they had been been arrested in December, 2010. They continued to coach through the end of the 2011 season. Coen and Hendricks were fired following the team's State Bowl Championship season after their situation became publicized. Spann was fired after it was learned he had additional drug charges in August, 2011. All had their original charges dismissed after completing a 90-day work furlough program and 18 months of probation.

Kevin Orton, an assistant golf coach and junior varsity football coach at Santa Margarita, pleaded guilty in February, 2012, to possessing a controlled substance and was sentenced to an 18-month drug diversion program. Orton was behind the wheel of a Cadillac limousine and tested positive for cocaine after being approached by Orange County Sheriff deputies.