Welch, on Administrative Leave, Investigated for Assault

There's not a lot that Harry Welch hasn't seen in four decades of coaching football, and now he's even been the subject of a police investigation.

Welch has been placed on paid administrative leave by Santa Margarita Catholic High and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for his involvement in an alleged incident that took place the week of the team's State Bowl championship.

According to Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff, the school received an anonymous third-party tip via e-mail that a coach at the school "pushed or shoved a student-athlete," which could be grounds for assault.

"The victim did not file a complaint," Amormino said. "We're trying to ascertain if there were enough elements that a crime took place. We're going to conduct an investigation and turn it over to the district attorney to see if there was any crime that took place. ... We have to find the truth of the matter—there are conflicting stories."

This is the second untoward thing that has happened to the program since the end of the season. Santa Margarita won the Southern Section Pac-5 championship and followed up a week later with a victory in the State Division I Bowl championship .

The shoving incident is said to have occurred Dec. 13, three days before the state game.

In the week after it became known that two assistant coaches at the school had pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana during the season; , as has a third coach who worked at St. Margaret's and was a roommate, Charles Spann. All had played for Welch previously.

Welch, whose career as a head coach includes an overall record of 244-51-2 and nine section titles, has turned around the Santa Margarita football program. It had been 3-7 in 2009, but after Welch was hired went 9-3 in 2010 and 13-2 in 2011.

Over the past six years, he has coached three different schools to state titles. In 2006 he led Canyon Country Canyon to a victory in the Division I Bowl; in 2008 he led St. Margaret's to the Small Schools Bowl; and then this year he won a Bowl championship with an offense that had only two seniors on it.

Over the past seven seasons, his teams have been 28-1 in the playoffs, and next year's team might be the best ever—provided he's coaching the Eagles.

Amormino said that the investigation is "far along" and he expects "the case should go to the district attorney's office this week, if at all."

Amormino also clarified what might qualify as an assault after it was pointed out to him that every Friday night in every bar in town someone gets pushed.

"That's the answer to the question," he said. "Was it criminal intent to injure somebody, or just grab somebody, or a light shove not to hurt somebody? We're looking into all aspects."

Welch, whose job title is special assistant to the president, was placed on leave on Friday. An attempt to reach school president Paul Carey was unsuccessful.

Stephen Bohannon, in charge of media relations for the Diocese of Orange, said that a joint review of the alleged incident is pending: "We have to determine all of the facts and then a decision will be made."