High school basketball coach arrested after tripping, choking referee over foul call: cops

A Connecticut girls high school basketball coach was arrested for allegedly tripping and choking a referee over a foul call during a youth league game last week.

Staples High School coach Thomas Sparks, 37, resigned from his post after was busted for calling referee a “dickhead” before choking him during a game last week, the CT Post reported.

Sparks was coaching a team for the Connecticut Elite youth basketball league in Shelton on Oct. 24 when he allegedly clashed with the referee over what he thought was a bad foul call, the local publication reported, citing a police report.

The duo got into a heated verbal spat before things turned physical.

Sparks allegedly tripped and shoved the ref to the ground.

Before the ref could stand up, Sparks allegedly wrapped his arm around his neck.

People in the crowd quickly stepped in to intervene and Sparks was booted from the building.

The referee then went to the police station and filed a report. 

Sparks told investigators he got physical because he didn’t know how the ref would react after their heated verbal exchange, the outlet reported, citing the police report. 

Witnesses at the game — including some players — backed up the referee’s version of events, cops said. 

Sparks was arrested on the same day and charged with assault, strangulation and risk of injury to a child, according to the local outlet.

Days after Sparks was nabbed by police, he resigned from his coaching position at the Westport high school on Thursday.

“Tommy resigned for personal and family considerations,” Staples High School Athletic Director confirmed the CT Post. 

Sparks also no longer works for Connecticut Elite, officials at the organization told the outlet and declined to comment further.

He was released on a $10,000 bond and is slated to return to court on Nov. 12. 

The Post reached out to the Shelton Police Department, the Staples High School athletics department and Connecticut Elite.