Vandy DL coach charged with drunk driving, suspended

Suffice to say, this will not go over well with new Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason.

According to a report from The Tennessean, Commodores defensive line coach Vavae Tata is facing charges after crashing his vehicle Sunday in Nashville. Specifically, the 37-year-old Tata has been charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Based on the police report, it’s not a good look for either the coach or the football program.

... Tata, 37, struck two parked vehicles on West End Avenue and fled the scene on foot in an attempt to avoid police. He was located several blocks away and admitted to operating the crashed vehicle. He smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet and had bloodshot and watery eyes.

Tata registered a .18 BAC, well above the .08 legal limit.

Late last month, Tata was introduced as one of the members of Mason’s first Commodores coaching staff. Tata had spent the past two seasons as a defensive assistant at Stanford.

(Photo credit: Vanderbilt athletics)

UPDATED 3:06 p.m. ET: Vanderbilt announced Tuesday afternoon that assistant coach Vavae Tata has been suspended indefinitely following his drunk-driving arrest over the weekend.