Former Lakeville South football coach Tyler Krebs charged with misdemeanor

Ousted high school football coach Tyler Krebs has been charged with a misdemeanor for unauthorized computer access in connection with allegations that he accessed the account of the Eastview football coach with whom he once worked.

Krebs, 45, resigned as Lakeville South head coach Sept. 23, three days after Apple Valley police received a complaint about suspicious activity on the Eastview computer system. Lakeville South played Eastview, located in Apple Valley, on the night the complaint was received and Krebs was not on the sidelines.

According to a complaint filed earlier this month in Dakota County District Court, a message sent on the Eastview coach's online Hudl account notified his players and coaching staff about a change in practice plans Sept. 19, the day before the Eastview-Lakeville South game.

The Eastview coach, Kelly Sherwin, told police that he suspected someone from the Lakeville School District "may have accessed his account and sent the message to confuse the team,'' the complaint said.

Sherwin checked the schedule for Lakeville South and verified that "the posted practice times were consistent with what the suspicious message stated,'' the complaint said.

Subsequent investigation linked an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with Lakeville schools to the Eastview coach's Hudl account, the complaint said. Records revealed that the suspect IP address had been used to access K.S.'s Hudl account as early as March 4, 2019.

A review of the data from Krebs' internet history from his school computer revealed that a school email account for K.S. was frequently accessed by Krebs. Data also revealed that Krebs had used the internet to search "6 Times the New England Patriots Allegedly Cheated in Big Games" and "bill belichick cheater."

When police contacted Lakeville South's activities director Tom Dasovich, they learned that Krebs had admitted accessing the Eastview coach's e-mail account after obtaining login information when Krebs coached with Sherwin, the complaint said.

Krebs also left voice and text messages for Sherwin in which he apologized and ''acknowledged causing damage to both football programs,'' the complaint said.

The complaint, electronically signed Dec. 16, indicates that Krebs is expected to appear in court on March 12.

Krebs spent 14 years as a teacher and assistant football coach at Eastview before moving on to Burnsville in 2011 and then to Lakeville South in 2017. He has been on paid administrative leave from his position as an English and business education teacher at Lakeville South while the investigation was ongoing.

Stephanie Kass, Communications and Public Relations Director for Lakeville Area Schools, wrote in an e-mail that Krebs "is still on paid administrative leave. The District will determine [the] appropriate course of action in the coming weeks."

Staff writer Joel Rippel contributed to this report.