Tulsa East Central Football Coach Arrested For DUI In Whataburger Drive-Thru Lane

Ben Bowling, the new head football coach at East Central High School, was arrested at 3:15 a.m. Sunday after police said he was asleep drunk in his car in a Whataburger drive-thru lane.

Bowling was arrested on a driving under the influence, actual physical control of a motorized vehicle complaint.

After being booked into jail by Tulsa Police at 4:15 a.m., Bowling bonded out at 8:30 a.m.

Court records show Bowling was previously charged with misdemeanor DUI while employed by Muskogee Public Schools in 2008.

According to the police booking sheet, Bowling was asleep, sitting in the drive-thru lane at Whataburger, located at 5726 E. 41st St. Bowling was in the driver's seat with his vehicle running, the radio on, and the car was in park, the report said.

The arresting officer tried to wake Bowling, who then exited his vehicle and had to be helped to stand, the report said. 

Bowling did not have his driver's license on his person or in the vehicle, the report said.

Bowling's blood alcohol content was .203, more than twice the legal limit, according to the arresting officer.

The coach was promoted to the head position at East Central on Feb. 27. He was the offensive coordinator from 2009-11 under former coach Travis Hill, who resigned in December 2011 amid a Tulsa Public Schools investigation.

2/27/2012 Related Story: Tulsa's East Central Names Football Coach

Bowling coached quarterbacks and receivers at Muskogee and served on the Jenks football staff in 2005 and 2006. In 2011, he also helped Tulsa's Arena Football League team, the Talons, as quarterbacks and receivers coach. 

Bowling was a Parade All-American quarterback at Jenks and was a member of the Oklahoma State University football team. He played in the Arena Football League from 2003-2008.

The young coach inherited a successful program at East Central.

Under former coach Travis Hill in 2011, the Cardinals went 10-2 overall, 6-1 District 5A-4, losing to Guthrie in the state quarterfinals. They were the Class 5A state runners-up to Booker T. in 2010.