Patrick Kugler, hired in January as the co-offensive coordinator at Austin Peay, has resigned after being arrested in connection with an undercover operation focused on human trafficking.
Kugler was one of six men taken into custody last weekend as part of the operation that included personnel from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s human trafficking unit, a state trafficking task force, the Department of Homeland Security, the Clarksville Police Department and other agencies.
As part of the operation, seven people were identified as potential trafficking victims.
While the TBI did not announce the arrests until Thursday, Kugler submitted his resignation on Sunday, The Athletic reported.
The undercover operation was targeted to find people seeking to “engage in commercial sex acts with minors,” according to a TBI news release.
Kugler, 29, was booked into Montgomery County Jail on one count of trafficking for sexual servitude. Bond was set at $5,000 for Kugler, whose city of residence was listed as Clarksville, where the university is located.
He was not listed on the jail’s inmate roster as of Friday. His account on the social media platform X also had been removed.
Kugler’s name was not present on the school’s online roster on Friday. Quinn Billerman was listed as the Governors’ sole offensive coordinator and also the quarterbacks coach.
“Austin Peay State University is aware of the arrest of former football assistant coach Patrick Kugler, who resigned his position on Sunday, Aug. 18,” the school said in a statement, per The Athletic. “The Clarksville Police Department are the lead authorities for the arrest and any additional questions should be directed to them. Austin Peay will have no further comments on the matter.”
The staff shakeup comes as FCS program Austin Peay prepares to open its season on Aug. 31 at Louisville.
Kugler was an offensive lineman at Michigan (2013-17). He played in 23 games (14 starts) after his redshirt freshman season. He coached at Howard and Maine before joining Austin Peay, hired by first-year coach Jeff Faris.
His father, Sean Kugler, was the head coach at UTEP (2013-17), fired five games into his final season with an overall record of 18-36. He now is the offensive line coach of the DC Defenders of the United Football League.
