Nebraska coach Mike Riley addresses assistant's DUI

Nebraska coach Mike Riley addressed the "elephant in the room" on Monday, speaking publicly about wide receivers coach Keith Williams getting ticketed with a DUI on Sunday morning after a crash involving two cars.

Riley said Williams made "obviously a big mistake...a serious mistake."

"These are choices we talk about all the time," Riley said. "Bottom line is this is dangerous stuff."

Williams, who is entering his second season as Nebraska’s wide receivers coach, had prior convictions at other schools during his 16-year career. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Williams twice previously has been cited for DUI. But Riley said he and the Nebraska administration were cognizant of Williams' issues with alcoholism and that Williams was always "transparent about his past."

"(Williams) went through a background check with our human resources and they knew of stuff. And they cleared him. In the hiring process we did know," Riley said. "He was basically cleared and the time frame of it...you never know when things crops up for different people. Because he was cleared went forward as normal employee."

Riley said there will be an evaluation process with the athletics department and university regarding Williams.

"This thing will be done in the right way, with all the bases covered — knowing the seriousness," Riley said.

During a hearing on Monday, Williams pleaded not guilty to charges of .08 DUI and careless driving, through an attorney. He appeared at the hearing over a video from Lancaster County jail. His wife attended the court hearing and watched onscreen.

Williams will have a $5,000 bond, with his next court date scheduled for Oct. 24.