Weeks after two Steubenville High School student-athletes were arrested on kidnapping and rape charges, the head coach of the school's football team spoke about the allegations against the teens that play on his team.

In an exclusive interview with NEWS9, Reno Saccoccia said explained how the charges have affected him as a coach and a person. Saccoccia was in the courtroom on Friday when two of his football players appeared in front of a judge.

"I was hired by the board of education and our superintendent to run a football program that our city can be proud of. And over 30 years, I think we've done that. And like any parent that I know, they wouldn't turn their back on their kids whether they're 10 years old or 50 years old, and as a coach I feel the same way, and I wouldn't turn my back on any of my players whether they are playing now or 20 years ago, and that's why I went there," Saccoccia said.

Two 16-year-old boys who play on the high school football team were charged in late August in connection with alleged kidnapping and rape of another minor. One teen is facing an additional charge of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.


A judge has ordered that two teens will remain in the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center. A probable cause hearing for the suspects was continued on Friday morning and rescheduled for Oct. 12.


"We don't leave it out of the locker room. But we don't dwell on it. Just like if (you) had four children and one had a problem, you wouldn't ignore the other three. I don't want to ignore any of them. I want to give them the time that they deserve and right now these 58 kids deserve 100 percent from me and our coaches and our community," Saccoccia said.


When NEWS9 asked Saccoccia if he had a moral obligation to remove players from his team that have been questioned in connection with the investigation, he said, "Let me say this: Our board and our superintendent are people of integrity. They wouldn't let a beat-up coach like me do something that would not be right. And if I felt somebody should be removed from our team, I'd remove them. If they felt I should remove somebody, we'd remove them. And if I had to remove kids that were questioned, then I'd have to be removed because I was questioned."

Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage.