BGSU swim and dive coach arrested

7/17/2018

BOWLING GREEN — The head swimming and diving coach at Bowling Green State University was arrested after he threw his girlfriend’s phone out the car window to stop her from calling 911, and attempted to eat a suspected marijuana edible to hide it from police, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Matthew Ense, 38, of Perrysburg is charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; disrupting an emergency communication, a fourth-degree felony; obstructing justice, a misdemeanor; and a minor misdemeanor for possession of marijuana. He was arraigned Monday in Sylvania Municipal Court, and he posted $10,000 bond Monday night from the Lucas County jail.

According to a highway patrol report, troopers approached him Saturday on I-475 near the Central Avenue exit for a vehicle stopped along the highway. While speaking to Mr. Ense and his girlfriend, troopers learned Mr. Ense had thrown his girlfriend’s phone out the window to stop her from calling 911, according to police and court documents.

Mr. Ense was arrested, and a trooper found a marijuana edible after conducting a search, according to an incident report. 

“Prior to being placed in the car, the suspect attempted to ingest the contraband,” the report states. “Only the amount of force necessary was used to stop the suspect from ingesting the contraband.”

Mr. Ense was hired July 1, 2015, as BGSU’s swim and dive coach, and makes $62,730 a year, according to the university. He was placed on administrative leave Tuesday after a Blade reporter inquired at the university about his arrest.

“Bowling Green State University has high expectations for its employees, at work, and in the community,” a university spokesman said in a statement. “We were made aware today of the weekend arrest of Matthew Ense, head swimming and diving coach, and are reviewing the facts. Pending the outcome of our investigation, Coach Ense has been placed on administrative leave.”

He is scheduled to appear again in Sylvania Municipal Court on Friday. Attempts to reach Mr. Ense on Tuesday were not successful.