Report: North Carolina assistant football coach facing felony strangulation charges

Garinger head coach DeAngelo Lloyd was suspended following in incident during practice last week

The besieged football program at Garinger high school in North Carolina, which is mired in a 31-game losing streak, had its head coach suspended last week and an assistant coach arrested for, among other things, felony assault by strangulation. / Garinger High School

The head coach of the Garinger High (North Carolina) football team was suspended last week, according to a report on Tuesday in The Charlotte Observer, and one of his assistants, Jeremy Jermaine Parmes, has been arrested and charged with felony assault by strangulation. He also faces misdemeanor charges for communicating threats and simple assault.

The Observer stated, according to a source, that Lloyd's suspension was over an incident involving one of his assistant coaches. It also reported that a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokesperson confirmed Lloyd's suspension, with pay, effective as of last Wednesday. Lloyd did not coach his team on Friday during a 63-7 loss to Butler.

The paper also reported that the charging documents claimed Parmes punched, slapped and strangled another person and said, "I'm going to kill you."

According to an Observer source, the incident occurred during a team practice last week and took place between one of the team's assistant coaches and a player. Lloyd met with CMS administrators the following day and was suspended.

Lloyd is in his first season as the Wildcats' head coach and the team is off to an 0-5 start. It is also in the midst of a 31 game losing streak dating back to September of 2021. Between 2011 and 2017, the school suffered through a 51-game losing streak.

Lloyd is a former All-American player at Independence High School and he won a NCAA national championship with Tennessee in 1998. Earlier this year, The Observer had named him one of the best high school players in Charlotte over the last 40 years.

Coach Lloyd still has support from the Garinger Community and The Observer reported that an online petition has received more than 140 signatures, as of Tuesday, asking that the coach be re-instated. It read:

“Coach Lloyd has been more than just a coach for the community of Garinger. He has played multiple roles ranging from mentor, confidant, to a father figure for the students and has been instrumental in shaping the lives of numerous student-athletes. Not only has he excelled in the duties of a coach, but he has also extended his influence beyond the football field, instilling in our children valuable life lessons and serving as a shining beacon of inspiration.

“Our boys have not only lost an outstanding coach but a dedicated figure ever present in their lives. Therefore, we urge the Garinger High School administration to reconsider their decision and reinstate Coach Lloyd as head coach. Restoring Coach Lloyd to his position will not only be a victory for the team but a triumph for the community that holds him in high regard.”