Dallas (WBAP/KLIF) – Fired Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery is checking himself into a rehab facility for alcohol abuse. In a written statement released Friday, Montgomery said losing his job with the Stars was a “wake-up call.” He also noted that his firing was the “appropriate call.” Montgomery was fired late last year for what the team only described at the time as “unprofessional conduct.”
The full statement from Jim Montgomery:
“Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars last month was a wake-up call. It was also the appropriate call. I let the team’s front office, staff and players down. More importantly, I let my wife and my family down. The team’s decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help. I turned to professionals in the field of alcohol abuse for their guidance and counseling. It has been an overwhelming and a very humbling experience knowing that I am not alone.
Today, with the unconditional support of my wife and family, and many close friends, I took another step forward by admitting myself into an inpatient residential program, where I intend to take the steps to be a better husband, father, friend, coach and mentor – one day at a time. It’s a process I am committed to. As I do this, I ask that my family’s privacy be respected. Thanks, Monty.”