Coker was subject of assault investigation

IOWA CITY -- It was announced Tuesday afternoon that Marcus Coker, the Big Ten's second-leading rusher last season with 1,384 yards, asked for and was granted his release from the UI.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was unavailable for comment, according to UI sports information director Steve Roe.

Coker, who was pre-registered for the spring semester at Iowa as late as a week ago, withdrew his application to enroll. Immediate attempts by Gazette staff to contact Coker were unsuccessful.

However, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported Tuesday night that that Coker had been a suspect in an assault investigation in October.

According to an incident report the Press Citizen obtained via an open records request, a woman reported Oct. 28 that she had been assaulted at Coker's residence, 618 Iowa Ave.

According to the article, "The circumstances surrounding the assault are not detailed in the report, but it does note that the responding officer was dispatched to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for a sexual assault."

The Press-Citizen reported that Coker had been investigated but prosecution wasn't pursued after conferring with the Johnson County Attorney's Office. The alleged victim didn't want Coker prosecuted, the paper reported.

The paper reported that police informed the Iowa Athletics Department about the investigation. Coker wasn't suspended until nearly eight weeks later, so it's unclear if the suspension and the probe are linked.

Read the entire Press-Citizen article here:

Assault investigation predates Coker's suspension