Mickey Joseph felony assault charges dropped

Felony assault charges against former Nebraska football coach Mickey Joseph have been dismissed. Joseph was arrested for strangulation and third degree domestic assault in late November. He was let go from UNL’s program two weeks later.

Prosecutors moved to drop the case Wednesday because the alleged victim couldn’t be reached to testify. In a court filing on Monday, Lancaster County Deputy Attorney, Erica Pruess, detailed seven different attempts to reach the person who accused Joseph of assault.

Another individual was also a witness to the alleged assault, according to the arrest affidavit. The affidavit describes the witness seeing Joseph with his hands around the victim's throat. The maximum penalty for assault by strangulation is three years.

Joseph, the interim head football coach at Nebraska last season, was arrested just days after Matt Rhule was hired to be the program’s next head coach. The interim coach’s restructured contract included a provision that Joseph return to his original role as wide receivers coach and associate head coach if someone else was hired as the full-time head coach.

Joseph had been receiving $33,350 in stipends each month for his interim head coaching duties on top of his $600,000 salary as an assistant coach. Joseph played quarterback at UNL from 1988 to 1991.

In his time as a student athlete, he was accused of drunk driving and was arrested for trying to enter his girlfriend’s second-story apartment window. No charges were filed.