Austin Peay coordinator Patrick Kugler arrested in human trafficking operation

Patrick Kugler resigned as the co-offensive coordinator at Austin Peay on Sunday, a day after he was arrested as part of an undercover human trafficking operation in Montgomery County, Tenn.

Kugler, 29, was one of six men arrested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Aug. 17, after they used decoy advertisements to “identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors,” the agency said in a release.

“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 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,” APSU’s Athletic Department said.

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A URL for Kugler’s staff page on the Austin Peay athletics website currently directs to an error message, while an X profile for the former coach appears to have been deleted .

The operation uncovered seven potential victims of human trafficking, while garnering six arrests.

Kugler was charged with one count of trafficking for sexual servitude with a bond set at $5,000.

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It is not clear if he has been released.

A former offensive lineman at Michigan, Kugler played for the Wolverines from 2015-17, notching 14 starts over 25 career appearances.

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He was an All-Big Ten honoree as a fifth-year senior in 2017.

His father, Sean Kugler, coached UTEP from 2013-17 and was fired by the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 after being sent home from the team’s Mexico City game for allegedly groping a woman.

Austin Peay opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 against the Louisville Cardinals.

The Governors went 9-3 with a perfect 6-0 conference record before losing to Chattanooga, 24-21, in the first round of the FCS national championship tournament last season.

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